


Persona 5: A Hazardous Inclusion

by Kazero



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Fights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-01-26 20:10:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 90
Words: 279,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21379891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazero/pseuds/Kazero
Summary: After his father’s death, high schooler Toya Kazero moves in with his brother and transfers to Shujin Academy. However, after discovering a strange app on his phone, his life changes in a way he could never imagine.
Relationships: Niijima Makoto/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	1. The Metaverse Navigator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing this fic since May, and I've been posting it on Fanfiction.net. However, I'm going to (try) and repost everything here, as a way to get my name out there more. 
> 
> The problem is... I've posted 80 chapters on Fanfiction.net already. That being said, it's probably gonna take me a long time to actually repost every single chapter.I have no idea if I'm going to do it all within one night, or what. That being said, if you're reading this and I haven't finished posting every single chapter over here yet, feel free to go read the rest over there.

**April 24th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Morning - Aoyama-Itchome**

After what had seemed like the longest week of his life, the transition was finally coming to a close. Toya Kazero had settled in with his older brother in Shibuya, and was finally going to begin his new life, as a student of Shujin academy. He and his brother were already in the car, on their way to the academy now to introduce himself to the principal. He had already been accepted into the school due to his brother's donation, but had never quite been to there himself. He laid his head against the car's window, with a blank look in his eyes. He wasn't particularly excited about needing to transfer schools, but it couldn't be avoided. As thinking to himself about how everything that had happened in the past week, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You still in there?" Toya's brother, Ken, had spoke to him, a gentle tone in his voice. Admittedly, the two of them had never spoken to each other much due to the age difference. Ken was about 15 years older than Toya. By the time Toya had started going to school, Ken had already moved out of the house his parents had lived in, becoming his own man. Toya sighed, peeling his cheek off of the glass window, sitting up straight and looking toward his brother.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize about spacing out. Honestly, I'd probably be doing the same thing at this point…" Ken's tone slowly got lighter and lighter. The past week had been a cruel slap across the face from reality, but nothing could truly be done about it anymore. For all intents and purposes, Ken was now Toya's legal guardian, for the foreseeable future. "Toya, listen. I wanted to tell you about this last night, but you looked exhausted, so I saved it for now instead." The car had stopped, they were finally in front of the school gate.

"What is it?" Toya took his seatbelt off, getting out of the car and stretching, closing the door behind him and looking up at the school in front of him. The sound of the other car door closing got his attention, as he looked over at his brother Ken, who was looking down, struggling to find the right words. He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked back up, right into Toya's eyes.

"As much as it pains me to say, I'm too busy to really be taking care of you. I'll give you money every week for food and such, but don't expect me to be home most of the time. As you know, my job keeps me… rather busy. I have to go on a business trip tomorrow morning, so you'll have to take the train to school and back every day." The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment, until Toya broke his gaze, slowly turning the school again.

"It's fine. I figured you'd be absent from home a lot. Though, I should be relatively fine on my own, for the most part." Ken frowned, seeing how his brother just had to deal with this, on top of everything else that had happened this past week. However, there was nothing else he could do about it. Taking him in was the most he could possibly do for his brother. Whether or not taking him in will be enough is something that only time will tell, and that left Ken extremely nervous for Toya's mental health. But he knew as well as his brother that there wasn't much else he could do. Toya appreciated the help regardless of this though, having someone there for him felt nice.

Once the silence had settled in, they both walked into the school, making their way to the principal's office to finally introduce Toya. When he got there, he met Mr. Kobayakawa, as well as his homeroom teacher, Ms. Kawakami. He was given his school ID and told he'd be in class 2-D. Not many words were spoken between the four of them, as Ken was a very busy man who knew he had to get back to work soon. They quickly got back to the car, neither having anything to say anymore.

**April 24th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

After getting through an absolute nightmare of traffic, the Kazero brothers finally return home to Shibuya. Toya began to walk upstairs, wanting nothing more than to just sleep for as long as he could. He turned the lights off and laid down, staring at the ceiling for a moment, before he heard a knock on his door. "Come in."

Ken slowly opened the door, holding something in his hand. "I'm sorry if I woke you up, Toya. But before you sleep, there's… something I want you to have." Ken walked over and put something on the nightstand. Toya gently picked it up. It was a black rope, with a hook on one end. He looked at it for a moment, puzzled at why Ken had this, or why he was giving it to hmi.

"Is this… a grappling hook? Where'd you even get this?" Toya asked, his voice filled with curiosity. As confused as he was, he rather liked the design of it.

"This was a gift that our father gave me the day I moved out. It was his, he told me that he wanted me to have it to remember him by. I've never actually had any chance to use it, but maybe you will." Ken looked away after speaking, looking down at the floor. The sadness in his tone was blatantly obvious to the two of them. "Anyways… I thought you needed the memento of him more than I did. That's... all I really had to say." Toya's facial expression had shifted completely. He held the rope tighter than he did before, a tear strolling down his face for a moment, before closing his eyes.

"Thanks… g-goodnight, Ken." Toya held the rope even tighter than before, closing both of his eyes. Another tear strolled down the other side of his face, as Ken began to walk away. He closed the door behind him as he walked out. He turned away from the door, reluctantly letting go of the hook and putting it down gently on the nightstand. Closing his eyes once more, he slowly drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts being about his father.

_"Why… why did you have to die like that?"_

**April 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya**

Slowly getting up from his bed, Toya quickly changed into his school uniform, before checking his bag. He had textbooks and writing utensils already, so he was already mostly packed for school. He took out his phone to check the time, but immediately noticed something: a strange looking app. The app seemed to have the design of an eye, and was colored all red and black. He didn't remember even downloading it, but he decided to open it just to see what it was about. The top of the screen said "Metaverse Navigator", and there was a tab for search history, but since this was his first time opening the app, there was nothing there. He didn't really know what to make of the app at first, as he sat down and tried to figure out just what it was. However, as he sat down he noticed the grappling hook that was on the nightstand. He reached over and picked it up, staring at it for a moment before letting out a deep sigh, and closing his eyes. "So this was my father's..." He spoke to himself, thinking out loud. He continued to examine the design of it. It was basic, but seemed well crafted, and durable for how old it was. He decided to put the grappling hook in a separate pocket of his bag, before getting up. "I wonder if there are any other mementos of his around here..."

"Candidate found." Toya's eyes jolted open as he heard the unfamiliar voice. In a panic, he picked up his phone, as the word "HIT" was plastered on the screen of his phone. Suddenly, for a brief moment, he had a headache, wincing in pain. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, and suddenly he felt... different. His body felt lighter, and the atmosphere around him was completely different, even though it looked the exact same. He looked again at his phone. The Metaverse Navigator was still open, but now, a big button was at the bottom of the screen that said "LEAVE". Incredibly confused, he decided to tap it, as he suddenly heard the voice speak again. "Now returning to the real world from Mementos. Thank you for your hard work." The headache returned, but then after a brief moment, everything seemed normal again. Toya stood there silently while looking at his phone, completely dumbfounded. What just happened? What is this app? Whatever the answers were, the one thing that he knew is that he didn't want any trouble. He quickly deleted the app from his phone, put it in his pocket, picked up his bag, and left the house, heading for the train station so he could get to school on time.

**April 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Aoyama-Itchome**

Toya spent a majority of the train ride thinking about that app. Truth be told, he had absolutely no idea how to explain what happened, but he wanted to know. After thinking about it for the rest of the train ride as well as the short walk afterwards, he finally made it to Shujin. Everyone was in uniform, all talking to each other about whatever was going on. Toya didn't really care about that though,he was still in shock from what had happened. Averting his eyes from everyone, he quickly made his way to the second floor and found his classroom, class 2-D. There were only two people there, one of which being Ms. Kawakami.

"You're actually here early? Well, I guess that's to be expected, from the brother of Kazero." Ms. Kawakami looked… noticeably tired. Her arms were straight down to her sides and her eyes were slightly baggy. Toya took note of this, but didn't really care.

"It's impossible to tell with almost nobody else here yet, but which seat do I take?" Toya looked around the room. There were plenty of seats, so the class was probably pretty packed. He didn't really like that, but he was in no position to complain about something so small."

"Just take a seat behind Kurusu there. Class doesn't start for a while, so if you're gonna stay here, just don't cause any trouble, okay?" I nodded in response, as she walked out of the room. Taking another look at the clock, there was still 15 minutes before class was scheduled to start. He made his way to his seat, sitting down and looking out the window. He slowly began to take in the reality of the situation he was in, his mind calming down after the incident earlier. This was going to be his life now. His new school, his new classroom, and new teachers. It was a bit overwhelming to take in all at once, but the school looked pretty ordinary so far, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad for him. That's what he told himself to keep his pressure low. However, his train of thought was cut off by a high pitched voice. there. Class doesn't start for a while, so if you're gonna stay here, just don't cause any trouble, okay?" I nodded in response, as she walked out of the room. Taking another look at the clock, there was still 15 minutes before class was scheduled to start. He made his way to his seat, sitting down and looking out the window. He slowly began to take in the reality of the situation he was in, his mind calming down after the incident earlier. This was going to be his life now. His new school, his new classroom, and new teachers. It was a bit overwhelming to take in all at once, but the school looked pretty ordinary so far, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad for him. That's what he told himself to keep his pressure low. However, his train of thought was cut off by a high pitched voice.

"Ooh, another transfer student? You know, this could be a good opportunity for you, Joker." Toya's eyes jolted open again. That voice was… strange. It wasn't like the voice from his phone earlier, but it was definitely not human. Not only that, but it sounded somewhat… feline. Looked ahead, he got a good look at the back of the other person's head. Ms. Kawakami referred to him as Kurusu, but that's not where his attention was. He looked at the inside of his desk, and noticed that there was something in there… a cat. Was that where the voice was coming from? Even so, it doesn't make any sense. Cats can't talk, so how could that voice be coming from there? He looked away again, but listened more closely.

"He's probably going to hear what Kamoshida spread about me… I don't think there's really a point in it." That voice though, that was different. That one sounded perfectly human, meaning it was Kurusu, but the other voice… could that really be the cat? Thoughts ran rampant through Toya's mind. Maybe this transfer wouldn't be as normal as he originally thought. But either way, he had to take some times to think about everything that had happened. He'd have to get through his classes for the day first though, then he'll be able to sit down and process everything that happened without having to worry about being interrupted. Before he knew it, the bell had rung, and class finally begun.

**April 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

With classes finally ending, Toya found himself needing somewhere to go. He didn't want to go home just yet, so he figured he'd stay in the school. He thought about what places wouldn't be too populated, and ended up making his way to the rooftop. Nobody was there, so he could sit down and think about everything that happened. The Metaverse? A talking cat? Just what is happening to him? Thoughts went through his head like mad- just what was really going on here? He sat there in complete thoughts, before suddenly hearing a voice. Somebody was coming up to the rooftop after school? He didn't necessarily want to talk to anyone, so he quickly hid out of sight. He couldn't see anyone, but he could recognize two voices. They were the voices from earlier today- Kurusu and the higher pitched voice, whether it was a cat or… something else.

"All right! All that's left now is to send out the calling card and take Kamoshida's heart!"

"Couldn't we have just sent one at the beginnin' of all this…?"

"It's not that simple. A Treasure won't stay materialized forever. Once the impression is gone, the Treasure will disappear. I think it;'ll last around a day, at most."

"The hell…? That's like no time at all… Anyways, we can send a callin' card right now, yeah? Let's do it and steal that bastard's heart!" Toya didn't recognize one of these voices. This person was much louder than the other two, but Toya had never heard him before.

"Let's send the calling card."

"I've been waitin' to hear you say that!" A calling card? Toya was suddenly more confused than ever before. Were they sending a calling card to the Kamoshida he heard about earlier? And what did it mean to take his heart? They can't be literal, unless he goes to high school with actual murderers…

"So we send the calling card in the morning… and carry out the plan by the end of the day, right?" Here was another new voice. This was now the fourth voice he had heard. One belonged to Kurusu, one belonged to what he assumed was the cat, then there was the male voice who was loud, and now a softer-spoken female voice. Just what are they doing?

"Correct. The effect won't last that long. Are you worried?"

"Heh. Waited too long. We're going to pull this off, no matter what!"

"So, who's going to write the card?"

"Leave it to me!"

"Why?"

"Why…? Why wouldn't it be me!?"

"This is important. Are you sure you can handle the pressure?"

"I must agree."

"I really wanna get him good! Lemme write it… C'mon, please?"

"All right. Write whatever you want."

"Yeah, I got this!"

"Hey, are you sure about this…? If they find out our identities, all this work will be for nothing…"

"I know, I know!"

"All right, then! Tomorrow it is! You'd better not slack off on this."

"Let's head home now, then. We'll meet outside the school gate tomorrow once classes end." As Kurusu said this, Toya heard footsteps walking away. He slowly peeked his head out from behind cover, and saw the backside of everyone as they walked away. He recognized Kurusu, and the female was in his class, just a few seats ahead of him. Though, he didn't know her name. The male was still a complete mystery to him, though. He waited a few minutes after they left before leaving the rooftop himself, so as not to be seen. He went up to the rooftop to try and find answers, but left with more questions than he had to begin with. He took a deep breath, then took his phone out to check the time, he found that the mysterious app was somehow back. He gasped as he saw it, having no idea how it got back on his phone. He recalled what had happened this morning, and thought about it, before beginning to finally leave the rooftop. However, as he did, he saw something that was left on there. Someone had left their phone up there. He picked the phone up, only to see it wasn't even locked behind a password. He thought it was careless, but then decided he'd try to snoop around, maybe he'd find a name or something. However, once he looked at the apps, he nearly dropped it in shock. There was no mistaking it. The red and black eyeball was right there in front of him, on the screen. Reluctantly , he decided to open it. They had a search history, but there was only one entry. The only words visible were "Kamoshida", "Shujin Academy", and "Castle". Whoever this was also had the Metaverse Navigator, and they've been using it. But who was it? He wasn't sure who exactly it was, so he decided to just leave it there. Whoever it belongs to, surely they'll come up here to get it. Either way, Toya had more concerns than that.

He made his way back down and got out of school, but instead of heading straight home, he decided to go somewhere that nobody could find him. When nobody was looking, he quickly opened the Metaverse Navigator on his phone, and entered in what he saw on that other student's phone earlier. Kamoshida, Shujin Academy, and Castle. He held his phone to his chest, and closed his eyes, unsure of what to expect. After a few seconds, the headache he had experienced earlier in the morning returned, although it was even more brief this time than it was last time. He had opened his eyes and not noticed anything out of the ordinary… until he looked over to the school. He fumbled back for a moment, trying to process what he was seeing. In the place of the school, there was a massive castle. Where did he go? Is this the Metaverse? Thoughts raced through his mind, before he slowly made his way over to the castle. The front entrance was ever so slightly opened, so he took a peek inside.

"Damn those Thieves! They've probably been through the entire castle by now!" He could hear an angry, almost demented voice as he got closer to the castle. At the center of the room, he saw a man with a robe and a crown, surrounded by multiple knights all wearing armor. "All of you, make sure that those Thieves never make it to the Throne Room! If you see them, kill them on sight!"

"Yes, Lord Kamoshida!" All of the knights spoke in unison, obeying who seemed to be their king. Toya stepped back, not wanting to be anywhere close to them anymore. He went back to the place where he came from, holding his phone in his hand. He tried to process what he saw, but it wasn't much use. The only thing he could really make out of it was Kamoshida. He heard the students on the rooftop speak of him, and it was one of the words he entered to get here. But even still, that didn't explain just what this place was… however, those questions could be saved for later. For now, he decided to press the giant button labeled "LEAVE" on the app, and make his way home. He closed his eyes again as he pressed it, and then before he knew it, he was back in front of the school gate. He had a lot to process, so he decided that it was finally time to make his way home. Maybe there he could process things better, and try to make sense of it all.

Even though for some reason, he had a feeling that he'd have no luck doing accomplishing this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who read this and don't understand what's going on, I'll explain this as simply as I possibly can. This is Persona 5's main story, as I'm sure you could tell by the things that happened in the story, as well as the date, but with a new character added into the mix: Toya Kazero. Toya's influence on the Phantom Thieves and the story as a whole will be seen in later (next chapter) once given the opportunity.


	2. Awakening

**April 26th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Early Morning - Aoyama-Itchome**

Toya's second day of school was here, and surprisingly enough, he was kind of excited. Not because he liked school or anything of the sort, but because he knew that something would happen. He wasn't sure exactly what would happen, or when it would happen, but he knew that it would definitely be something. He thought about the possibilities as he finally got to school, and almost immediately, he saw something. Plastered all over a wall, there were multiple red cards. He stepped closer, and noticed that the girl from yesterday was reading it too.

"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts… wow." The girl read aloud, before turning around and walking over to two others. One of them was Kurusu, and the other was… whoever that other male student was from yesterday. Toya blended in with the crowd, but kept his eyes on the three of them.

"Not bad, eh? I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference." He finally had a better look at the other student. He was easy to tell apart from everyone else due to the blonde hair, but everything else about him was pretty ordinary, apart from his shirt.

"Um… Yeah… I know what you wanted to say, but it sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult."

"Your logo's a little lacking, too." Toya's eyes widened, he finally had confirmation of it. It really WAS a talking cat… and Toya thought he could just live a normal life in a new school. But obviously, he was wrong. Between castles, weird apps and talking cats, he could tell that this would be the weirdest semester of school he's ever had so far.

"Okay, y'know what? Th-That ain't true!" The blonde haired boy sounded pretty disappointed with their reaction to his calling card. Toya felt a little bad for him since he clearly put effort in for it, but that was beside the point. He started to slowly move away from the crowd as he heard everyone talking, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a teacher walking over to everyone.

"Who's responsible for this…!?" Toya recognized this voice, and after a closer look at him, he knew exactly who this was. This is Kamoshida, the man that everyone on the rooftop was talking about, and not only that, but he was also the king of that castle he saw yesterday. Things were starting to get REALLY interesting now, so he continued to watch on, from a further distance. Though, once Kamoshida had raised his voice loud enough, everyone began to scatter, seemingly afraid. Kamoshida's gaze turned toward the group of three students. "Was it you two?!"

"What if it was?" Toya recognized it as Kurusu's voice. The one who had seemed so much more quiet than all of the rest was suddenly standing up to Kamoshida. It was… strange, but admirable in a sense.

"What garbage… but it's not a problem. You'll be expelled soon enough anyway." This took Toya back a bit. Expelled? This was something new, and something he hadn't realized yet. Perhaps there's more to this story than meets the eye, he thought. However, his thoughts were quickly cut short when he felt a slight headache again, and suddenly saw Kamoshida in the attire he wore at the castle, crown and all. "Come… Steal it, if you can!" His voice was suddenly as demented as it was yesterday. His attire changed right back to what it was, and he started walking away. Toya quickly turned away and started slowly walking away, still trying to listen in on the conversation the group was having.

"Judging from Kamoshida's response… I'm sure we had an effect on his Palace!"

"Does that mean the Treasure's appeared!? We'll be able to get it today, right?"

"It's not just today. It's ONLY today. The impact of seeing a calling card doesn't last long, and it cannot be repeated. This will be our one chance to steal the Treasure."

"One day's more than enough for us!" The three began to walk away, as Toya began to make his way to class. He still had a lot of questions left unanswered, but perhaps they'd be explained another day. For now, he simply had to wait until class was over, so he could follow them into the castle.

**April 26th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - School Gate**

Toya quickly made his way outside, and spotted the trio, all of them holding their phones in their hand. He watched closely as they had suddenly vanished into thin air. This would terrify any normal person, but Toya knew exactly where they were going at this point. After waiting a couple of minutes, Toya went somewhere nobody would notice him, took out his phone, and opened the Metaverse Navigator. Checking his search history, he tapped on Kamoshida's castle, and closed his eyes. The headache from yesterday affected him once again, however, it was nowhere near as bad this time. He was back in that other world, standing in front of the castle. Only this time, he wouldn't go into the front entrance. Toya figured that at this point, this castle must be heavily guarded, if there's any truth to what the cat was saying earlier. Instead, he opened his bag, and looked for his father's grappling hook. However, he found something else in its place. It almost looked like a gun, but instead of shooting bullets, it looks like it would shoot out a hook.

Why did he suddenly have a hookshot in his bag? He questioned it for a moment, for chalked it up to this other world having a strange affect on things. Either way, this worked out even better for him. He picked up his hookshot, aimed it towards the top of the castle, and fired. The hook immediately shot out, latching on and slowly pulling him up. As Toya was being pulled, he was suddenly nervous. He was infiltrating a castle that had seemed heavily guarded, and was following a group that called themselves the "Phantom Thieves of Hearts". In a way, it felt like one crazy dream to him, but that wasn't important right now. He pushed his uneasiness aside as he got to the top, entering through a window. Once inside, he took in his surroundings. In front of him was an open door, leading to what appeared to be a Throne Room. He figured that this has to be where the supposed Treasure was, based on what he had heard yesterday. However, his train of thought was quickly cut off as he heard the sound of people running. He panicked for a moment, before taking his hookshot back out and making his way up to an upper platform of the room. He looked down at the lower floor, to see four figures running through.

He recognized three of them instantly. Even though they had somehow changed into costumes, they were the three students from earlier. The ones he saw on the rooftop, as well as the ones that were interacting with Kamoshida earlier today. However, the other figure… appeared to be a cat. However, it was walking on two feet. It looked strange, but he didn't have time to be worrying about that right now. He wanted to see exactly what these so called "Phantom Thieves" were planning. They ran past the throne and up the stairs, into a room at the end. Toya decided not to follow them, and instead waited where he was for a moment. While he was waiting, he took a closer look at the hookshot he had been using. To think that this used to be his father's grappling hook… the fact that it had changed into this was strange, to say the very least. He stared at it for a brief moment longer, before he looked over to see the Phantom Thieves again, only this time, holding a crown that was bigger than all of them. This must've been the treasure they were talking about. Toya continued to watch, until suddenly, the crown was hit by what appeared to be a volleyball, and flew across the room. He then saw a man in a crown jump over all three of them. The crown suddenly shrunk as the man leapt past it, and took it in his hand. Now standing upright with the large crown still in his hand, Kamoshida looked down at the Phantom Thieves.

"I won't let anyone take this! This proves that I am the king of this castle- it is the core of this world!"

"Yo, pervert! Were you waitin' to ambush us!?" The boy with blonde hair had anger in his voice as he looked at the king.

"I just made it easier to find you. I'll dispose of you myself. Right here, right now!" Suddenly, a black aura began to emanate around Kamoshida. He let out a twisted laughter, his voice noticeably more demented than it was before. "I'm a cut above all other humans! I am a demon who rules this world!" The black aura suddenly covered Kamoshida entirely, while he suddenly began to grow in size. His entire body became distorted, his skin turned pink and he grew two more arms. In his arms, he had both a knife and a whip. The crown he had taken was now on top of his head. "You goddamn, no-good, shitty brats! Haven't you been taught not to point at people!?"

The Phantom Thieves had all pulled out weapons, staring Kamoshida down. "Look! The Treasure's over there! We should catch him off guard and steal it! Let's attack him and wait for the opportunity!" From there, the battle had finally begun. The Phantom Thieves against Kamoshida, or at least… some demon with the form of him. Toya still wasn't exactly sure what it was, but this was far from the time to be thinking about that. He watched the Phantom Thieves begin attacking Kamoshida, using various weapons and guns. He'd wonder where they got those later as well. But for now, he was focused on the fight. Kamoshida had the numbers advantage, though. Next to him were these tiny figures that would help him in battle. With the crack of a whip, the Thieves would be pelted be a barrage of volleyballs, and that was without Kamoshida even attacking them himself. But it was at that moment that Toya had seen something he never would have thought. Kurusu had suddenly pulled off his mask, as a blue flame surrounded him.

"Persona!" As Kurusu yelled the word out, a slightly transparent figure had appeared behind him. He watched in shock as all of the others did the same thing. These… transparent figures were suddenly attacking Kamoshida as well, throwing a variety of things from lightning, fire, blasts of wind, and even what appeared to be dark energy. However, this didn't even phase Kamoshida, as he just kept on attacking them. He slashed at them with his knife, and even tried hitting them all with his incredibly long tongue. This didn't look good… at this point, the Phantom Thieves didn't stand a chance against him. However, it was at that moment that the cat had suddenly pulled out a slingshot, aimed at a trophy that was in front of Kamoshida, and fired. As the pellets all hit the trophy, it slowly cracked and broke apart.

"NOOOO!" Kamoshida roared, staring down at the broken trophy in front of him. "You think you can get away with doing such a thing…? Do you realize who I am!?"

"We don't care who you are!" Kurusu yelled, before all of the Thieves attacked at once. Kamoshida stumbled for a moment, but even after all of that, he was still fine, proceeding to attack the Thieves again. He was much more aggressive now.

"We won't get anywhere with brute force…" The cat looked up, staring at the crown on top of Kamoshida's head. "We need to take his Treasure!"

"I know we do, but we can't…" Kurusu seemed out of breath, looking at the demon in front of him. Things were getting worse and worse… the Thieves would lose at this point. Toya looked down, as he began slowly walking away. It was over… there was nothing he could do to help them, either. He got on his knees and slammed his fist against the floor, his frustration building.

"Why…? Why can't I do anything?!" He slammed the ground harder, closing his eyes as a tear strolled down his face. He felt absolutely powerless. They were going to die… and he could do nothing to stop it.

"Are you going to let more people die on your watch?" Toya's eyes widened, as he experienced a headache far more extreme than anything he felt the past two days. He cried out in pain, as he heard a mysterious voice speaking to him. "Are you going to continue letting people die around you, so long as it means you can survive? Is that what you want?"

"No… it's not…!" Toya slowly got up, his entire body trembled in pain, but he had felt a powerful resolve deep within him. "I've already lost my father… I won't lose anyone else!" The pain kept getting worse, but Toya still did everything he could to try and fight against it. Sweat dripped down his face as he tried fighting against the pain, his entire body started burning up, but even still, his sudden resolve kept him going, and caused him to feel stronger.

"Very well. Then, let us form an oath." Toya continued screaming in pain, as it seemed to get progressively worse. "I am thou, thou art I…Now, give in to your anger! Let out the devil that resides within, and unleash hell amongst all who oppose you!" Toya opened his eyes once more, as he felt some kind of a mask covering his face. He grunted and struggled, until he finally ripped it off, screaming out as blue flames engulfed him, blood dripping from his face.

Toya's body was slightly weighed down. His clothes had now turned into a thin, black set of armor. In his hand, he held a silver, reflective gunblade. He slowly lifted it up, running his hand across the silver texture. "I will never watch someone die while I sit there unable to help. From now on… I will do everything in my power to stand strong, and let the devil be the judge of all those who would kill another person for their own gain!" He ran his hand off of the silver blade and pointed it forward, as a pitch black figure behind him opened his eyes and revealed a terrifying smile. Both it's eyes and mouth were completely silver, while the rest of the body was black. Toya stared straight ahead, as the determination inside of him built up more than ever before in his life. "Now! It's time to save the ones who would also fight against the injustices of society! Let's move, Diabolos!" Toya immediately ran forward, looking down at the battle as the Phantom Thieves continued getting pelted by attack after attack. He had to move fast, otherwise they were all dead. He ran up closer, knowing exactly what to do. "If losing your trophy gave the Phantom Thieves enough time to attack you, then what if I did this?!" He thought to himself, before stopping in his tracks. At this point, he was right behind Kamoshida. He pointed his gunblade forward as Diabolos's arm morphed into a gun, both aiming just above Kamoshida's head. "There!" Toya yelled as two bullets soared through the air, one from him and the other from Diabolos, knocking the crown right off of Kamoshida's head. Kamoshida looked down at the crown in horror, screaming as he saw it.

"NOOOOO! My… my precious…!" Kamoshida was shaken, seemingly dejected as he laid still, unable to process what he had seen.

"Let's go! We have to take advantage of this moment!" Kurusu yelled to his teammates as they all charged at him. Meanwhile, Toya began running back to where he was, trying to stay in the shadows. He watched silently for a moment, before leaving, entrusting the rest to the Phantom Thieves. Using his hookshot, he made his way back down the castle. Taking out his phone, he pressed the button labeled "LEAVE", and got out of the Metaverse. Once he finally came back to the real world, he fell to his knees, feeling absolutely drained. He slowly made his way to the train station, wanting nothing more than to get home and pass out.

Back at Kamoshida's castle, the Phantom Thieves had emerged victorious. Thanks to Kamoshida's crown mysteriously falling off his head, they were able to defeat him. However, they did not kill him. They took the treasure and left, wanting Kamoshida to face justice rather being able to die as someone who was considered an innocent teacher by society. However, as the Thieves ran out of the now crumbling castle, all of them had one thought on their minds- how did they win? How did Kamoshida's crown fall off of his head so suddenly? They all had questions, but they decided not to ask yet. They would save it all for tomorrow and try to figure it out later. But for now, they could all get home and rest easy, knowing that one way or another, Kamoshida was defeated.

**April 26th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

Finally back home, Toya immediately made his way up to his room. He was absolutely exhausted after the day he had, but even still, he was proud of what happened. He made a difference… and potentially saved the 4 lives. It felt good, being a hero. It didn't really bother him that nobody knew that he was the one who did it, the fame wasn't important in his mind. What was important to him was the result of his actions, and the result of his actions were amazing. Before he laid down, he checked his bag. He pulled out his father's grappling hook. Oddly enough, it was an actual grappling hook again, rather than the hookshot he had while he was in that other world. He was fine with this, though. The hookshot was more useful, but the grappling hook was a memento of his father. That was enough for him to be happy. He turned off the lights and got into bed, closing his eyes and almost immediately falling asleep, having one final thought before drifting off.

"Maybe this won't be too bad, after all."

**April 26th, 20XX**

**The Velvet Room**

Feeling the atmosphere around him suddenly change, Akira Kurusu's eyes jolted open. The blue mist surrounding him, the restrains on his limbs, and the zebra striped clothes he was changed into. He slowly got on his feet and walked towards the iron bars of his jail cell, looking straight ahead at the master of the Velvet Room, Igor.

"First off… I'd like to begin by congratulating you. You have encountered allies who share your aesthetics, and you have found your place in reality. The time has come… your rehabilitation will soon begin. However, it seems that something happened that nobody in your group had anticipated." Akira looked down for a moment, trying to recall everything that had happened today, before looking forward once more.

"Could you be referencing... the force that pushed Kamoshida's crown off of his head?" Igor chuckled. His long, bony fingers rhythmically tapped his desk, as his deep voice echoes throughout the room.

"Whatever force this may be, it seems that it may prove a hindrance in your rehabilitation. You must soon find out what truly caused that to happen, in order to avoid the coming ruin." Suddenly, an alarm sounded somewhere far away. It was faint, but enough to gain Akira's attention for a moment. This meant that Akira's time talking to Igor was up. He slowly turned around, returning to his bed and drifting back to sleep. Before he fell asleep, one thought echoes throughout his mind, one that would haunt him for the days to come.

"Who else has access to the Metaverse?"


	3. Hazard

**May 2nd, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Shujin Academy**

Almost a week had passed since Toya awakened to his Persona. Since then, things have been mostly quiet as Shujin Academy. The only mentions of the Phantom Thieves were murmurs amongst random crowds of students. At this point, everyone was convinced it was just a prank. Even though Toya knew that it was very real, he couldn't really say anything about it, as he couldn't prove it yet. He spent the past week or so looking things up about taking someone's heart on the internet, but nothing really came up. Anything he found from the search had to do with literally taking someone's heart, but after seeing other world, and that other Kamoshida… that couldn't be it. Toya had so many more answers than anyone else on the topic, but that only gave him even more questions that he already had. He stood still deep in thought, in the midst of a crowd. Everyone was waiting to see what the morning assembly would be out, as it seemed to come seemingly out of nowhere. Perhaps it had to do with the Phantom Thieves? The general consensus of the crowd imagined that it'd either have to do with that, or with an apparent suicide attempt that had happened days before Toya had enrolled. However, it took only a few more moments until Principal Kobayakawa stepped up to the mic.

"Let's begin this school-wide morning assembly. As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers. Everyone here has a bright future ahead, I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-" Kobayakawa stopped talking as he heard the sound of a door creaking open. Everyone in the crowd looked over to their left, to see Kamoshida himself, looking down at the ground. "Mr. Kamoshida, what's the-"

"I… have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all." The entire crowd started whispering to each other. Reborn? Confess? Nobody knew what Kamoshida was talking about, except for the Phantom Thieves, and Toya.

"...Huh?" Looking to his right, the only girl in the Phantom Thieves, Ann Takamaki, seemed to be just as surprised as everyone else. Toya found this strange, given how she was one of the reasons this happened, but he chalked it up to her not expecting Kamoshida to go out in front of a crowd like this.

"I have repeatedly done things that were… unbecoming of a teacher. Verbally abusing students… physically abusing my team, and… sexually harassing female students. I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself!" Kamoshida got on his knees, as the entire crowd began to gasp in surprise. There were plenty of rumors surrounding Kamoshida, but people that weren't on the volleyball team never expected that they'd be true. However, here he was… confessing to everything. "I thought of this school as my own castle… There were even students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn't like them. I will, of course, rescind those. I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts… i am an arrogant, shallow… and shameful person. No, I'm worse than that…" Kamoshida put his arms and head down against the floor. His body shook with guilt and misery as he spoke one last line. "I will take responsibility… and kill myself for it…!" The crowd burst out into shock and confusion. Was this really happening? Mr. Kamoshida, a well known teacher, suddenly admitting to being a pervert? To top it all off, he's going to kill himself for it? Nobody knew how to take this… Toya wasn't even sure what to think anymore.

"Mr. Kamoshida! Please get off the stage for now!" Kobayakawa moved in a panic. He was as surprised and confused as everyone in the crowd.

"Don't run, you bastard!" Suddenly from the crowd, one girl yelled out to Kamoshida. Everyone turned their heads over to see Ann Takamaki, frustration plastered all over her face. "Shiho's still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!"

"You're right… You're absolutely right… I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes. I did horrible things to Takamaki, as well. In return for giving Suzui a position on the team… I tried to force her into having relations. As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor, and turn myself in. Someone, please call the police!" This was it. Kamoshida was going to turn himself into the police now. This is what the Phantom Thieves did to him… and to top it all off, they convinced him not to commit suicide, either. Maybe they really _were_ doing the right thing. However, as he thought of this, the crowd began to talk about the Phantom Thieves as well. People were now questioning if the Phantom Thieves were real, and not just some dumb prank. Nobody knew what to say, but this was the only possible explanation.

"Return to your classrooms at once!" Everyone disbanded and started walking back, but Toya didn't go right there. Toya waited just outside of the gym, peeking in at the trio of Phantom Thieves. He couldn't hear them from this distance, but that was okay. He just wanted to see how they'd react. At this point, Toya had looked up all of their names in the yearbook, so he knew that the blonde haired boy was Ryuji Sakamoto. They all had… unsure looks on their faces. Maybe they thought differently about their justice after seeing Kamoshida react like that. Toya wanted to keep watching, but then, Ann began turning her head towards him. He immediately pulled his head back behind the door and began walking to class, not wanting to be seen watching over them. On his way back, he continued thinking of the Phantom Thieves, and their potential influence throughout the future. However, there was only one comment that went through his mind whenever he began to think of them.

"How admirable."

**May 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School- Shujin Academy**

Once classes were over, the trio of thieves and their cat all met on the rooftop, as per usual. Even though they were a bit nervous about everything that had happened with Kamoshida, they were pleased with the result overall. Kamoshida confessed to his crimes and was going to spend the rest of his life repenting for it in a jail cell, which was the best case scenario for all of them. Even though they were happy about it, Ann still seemed… concerned about it. Confusion was plastered all over her face still, like there was something bothering her.

"Is something wrong, Lady Ann?" Morgana was the first to notice her concern. Even though everyone seemed so happy, she still seemed so down. He knew that _something_ was wrong.

"No, it's probably nothing… I'm just thinking about what happened in Kamoshida's Palace. There's… there's no way the Treasure just fell off of his head like that, right?"

"I'll admit…" Akira took a look around the rooftop, making sure nobody else was near. "Ever since a few weeks ago, I've felt like there's been someone watching me. Do you think we're being followed?"

"Wait, do you two think someone followed us into the Metaverse? That can't be possible unless they have the Nav, right?" Ryuji couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely nobody else had access to the Nav, so how could someone else be there with them?

"I don't know… I mean, remember how I got into the Metaverse the first time? All I did was watch you three go in, and suddenly, I was there with you. Don't you think the same thing could happen if someone else was watching us?" Ryuji's confidence almost instantly turned into doubt. Did they mess up? Did someone follow them into the Metaverse without them noticing? Ryuji struggled to form a response to this, as he sat still, thinking about the possibility.

"Either way, it's not worth thinking about right now." Akira slowly got out of his seat, looking at the rest of the group. "We can't sit here thinking about what-ifs and maybes. No matter how it happened, the fact is that we exposed a criminal, and made him confess to everything. Let's just stay focused on that."

"Yeah… I'm sorry, you're right. I'm probably just worrying too much." Ann was still unsure, despite what she was saying. But Akira always had this… confidence when he spoke. He was rather quiet, sure, but that just made his verdict all the more trustworthy.

**May 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Shibuya**

Meanwhile, at the Subway Station, Toya was looking things up to try and get more information on this other world. But it seemed like no matter what he looked up, there's no record of a "Metaverse Navigator" anywhere on the internet. He heard Akira refer to the spirit he controlled as a Persona, but that's all he knew for sure about the other world. The only thing he could think to do would be to go back there, but for some reason, he couldn't go back to Kamoshida's castle. He assumed it had to do with his heart being changed, but he didn't know for sure. As he got off the train and made his way back to Shibuya, he felt his phone vibrating. Confused, he took his phone out of his pocket and answered.

"Hello?"

"Toya? Is everything okay there?" Toya was more than surprised to hear this voice. Sure they were brothers and all, but he and Ken never really kept each other up to date on their personal lives. Ken was always too busy with his work as a detective to keep a social life.

"Ken? Yeah, everything is fine… why?"

"I just received orders to look into Shujin Academy due to an incident that happened earlier today, but I didn't know that there was anything going on. Can you explain?"

"I'm not really sure how to explain what happened, but I'll try…" Toya sighed. In the end, it was still all business for Ken. He wasn't too surprised, but still a bit disappointed. "Last week, there was a calling card plastered all over a wall at the school. It was addressed to Mr. Kamoshida, and said that they were going to make Kamoshida admit his crimes with his own mouth. Today, he actually did it… he confessed to physically abusing male students, and sexually harassing female students."

"I'm sorry- did you say 'they'? Who do you mean by that?"

"That's the mystery. Whoever sent the group called themselves the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Nobody has a clue who it is, but whoever it is, they have to be related to Kamoshida in some way."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, they knew about Kamoshida's crimes. This has to mean that they've either experienced it themselves, or they have someone close to them who has."

"How interesting…" Ken paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Is there anything that could give me a clue as to who they could be?" Toya clenched his fist. This was a tough decision for him. On one hand, he didn't want to lie to his brother. Ken is the reason he has a place to sleep at night, and he's the only family that Toya has left. But… Toya admired the Phantom Thieves. He didn't want to give Ken a clue as to who they are, because then, there's a chance he actually finds them.

"There's one thing. When Kamoshida was confessing, he said something about sentencing students he didn't like to expulsion, and that he'd revoke it. But this would mean that whoever was going to get expelled hadn't been expelled yet, so maybe they're related to it. However, as for who it is… I honestly don't have a clue. I'm pretty sure it happened before I got here."

"...I see. Well, that could serve as a motive. However, it's probably not enough evidence to go off of. Regardless, I'll try looking into it soon. I'll be over there some time next week. Thanks for the info, Toya. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. See you next week, Ken." With that, the call ended. Toya probably didn't give him enough information to pinpoint exactly who it is. It might lead him back to Akira and Ryuji, but even then, who knows where Ken could go from there? He loved his job, but more importantly, he loved being right. Without any concrete evidence, he couldn't accuse anyone of being a Phantom Thief. Therefore, as long as they're all careful, they'll be safe. This was the thought process Toya had as he hung up, but once he did, he saw the app. The Metaverse Navigator. Something about it was so… tempting. He stood outside the subway station and opened the app. With Kamoshida's castle being gone, the only place left was Mementos. But… what _was_ Mementos? Toya sat there questioning it for a moment, but after looking around to see nobody was looking at him, he decided to press the button and enter. After one tap and closing his eyes for a brief moment, he felt the atmosphere around him change.

**May 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Once he opened his eyes, he saw nobody else around anymore. However, the city looked the same… except for the subway station. There was a red mist coming from underground, and that caught Toya's attention. He slowly walked down the steps. Once he reached the bottom, he felt his clothes get heavier, and felt a mask on his face. He took his phone out, and looked at his reflection through the screen. His clothes were morphed into armor, firm enough to protect him but light enough to move around in, and colored completely black. On his face, a black mask covered everything above his lips, stopping at his hairline and leaving two holes for his eyes. He found it strange how it fit him perfectly, but to him, it was just another mini mystery in the shadow of the giant mystery that was the Metaverse. No matter how he looked at it, he found it so… interesting. He looked ahead, there was an empty subway track. It looked like nobody was using it anymore, but to his surprise, he heard footsteps. Curiosity got the better of him, so he hopped down to the tracks and began investigating. However, as soon as he turned the corner, he got his answer. A giant, black creature with a white mask was walking around, and headed straight towards him. When this creature noticed, it began charging at him. In a state of shock, he jumped to his side, trying to get out of the way. However, as he landed, he felt something in his right hand. Taking a look, out of nowhere, his gunblade had materialized in his hands. Where this came from, however, was the least of his concerns. Looking forward, the creature began running at him again, only this time, Toya didn't run away. Lifting his weapon, he charged forward, and slashed his sword, making direct contact with it. The creature fumbled back, as it's mask fell off. After twitching and convulsing for a moment, the creature turned into a black and red liquid, falling to the ground and then rising up again. However, when it rose, it's shape changed entirely.

In front of Toya's eyes, a knight on a horse had spawned from the liquid-like substance. The knight held a lance in his hand, and suddenly charged towards him, his lance pointing out. Toya instinctively ducked underneath the tip of the lance, and slashed at the horse's legs. The horse fell over, and dissipated into a black fog. All that was left was the knight himself. The knight tried to attack him, but Toya deflected the attack with his blade. He pushed forward, making the knight stumble backwards, as he jumped in. Toya sliced right through the knight's armor, causing him to fall flat, and then dissipate into black mist as well. Toya took a deep breath, and suddenly, excitement had overflown him. The thrill of a battle, of his first real fight… it got to his head. He enjoyed defeating the monster, it was almost… therapeutic for him, in a way. When he turned the corner again, there were more shadowy figures standing there. Toya smirked, feeling the high of battle, and charged towards them. As they turned around and saw him, they immediately transformed into their true forms. One more knight, and two… women? But they had wings, so… demons? As confused as Toya was, he didn't care too much. He just wanted more action. He wanted to feel the thrill of the hunt. He charged forward, jumping into the air and aiming straight for the knight instead of the horse this time. The knight tried blocking Toya's sword with his spear, but it was a futile attempt. Toya broke the spear in half, and slashed right through the knight, yet again. With the knight turning into mist, he got on top of the horse, aiming his gunblade at one of the demons and pulling the trigger. A bullet flew through the air, blasting through the first demon and destroying it instantly. The second demon looked towards her ally in shock, but as soon as she turned her head back to Toya, it was too late. Toya had already jumped off the horse and was right in front of her. Toya cut her in half, leaving only mist where the demon was. Toya stood up, smirking and chuckling, proud of his work. However, his victory was short lived, as he felt something cold thrown at him. He fell to his knees for a brief moment, before getting up and turning around, to see two… birds with extremely long legs. Toya looked at them in confusion for a moment, but decided that he'd just think of it as another mystery of the Metaverse. Besides, at the end of the day, it was simply more practice for him. His excitement, however, turned into more confusion as he heard the sound of wings flapping. Suddenly, from around the corner, a knight with two wings and a sword had appeared. The knight had a condescending look in his eyes, looking down at Toya as he spoke.

"For murdering multiple shadows for your own enjoyment, and being a hazard to the rest of our population, I, Archangel, sentence you to death!" The knight yelled, before flying towards Toya. Toya smirked, and took hold of his mask. Slowly taking it off, a black figure materialized behind him, revealing a demonic smile.

"Erase him… Diabolos!" Toya pointed towards Archangel, as ordering his Persona. Diabolos's put his hands close together, charging an attack before unleashing dark magic, hitting Archangel dead on and causing him to fall to his knees. The bird like creatures were in shock, but tried to rush in anyways. However, they were far too slow for Toya. Pulling up his gunblade, he shot two bullets, hitting both creatures before causing them to fall to the ground. Toya smirked again, before running in with his blade out. He slashed through every single one of them multiple times, mortally wounding them all before finally stopping. He twirled his blade around his fingers before holding it with both hands, covering part of his face with the blade.

"Let the Devil be your judge." The shadows exploded behind him, all disappearing into black mist. Toya felt more powerful than ever before. In the Metaverse… he felt unstoppable. Looking around, he heard the sound of running, and the sound was getting further away. He laughed, and began walking back, putting his weapon away and taking his phone out to go home. Before leaving, however, he had one final thought to himself.

"Hazard… I like the ring of that."


	4. Fear of the Unknown

**May 7th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Mementos**

For ordinary students, today was a complete drag. Their three day break ended and they have to go right back to school today. However, not every student was truly normal, and a perfect example of that is none other than Shujin Academy's latest transfer student, Toya Kazero. School was a drag, but how much did that really matter? To him, it didn't matter at all, because it meant he could go straight to his own personal playground, Mementos. At this point, he destroyed so many Shadows that he's gotten really good at it. Not only was he getting better with his Persona, but his own swordsmanship was getting better as well. It was… invigorating for him, in a way. This was the one place where he could run away to, where nobody could find him. He could escape all the pain he had to deal with due to his father's death, and enjoy himself, at the cost of nobody. It was perfect. There was no guilt to be felt, only joy. To top it all off, it was even exercise for him. Between being good for both his mind and body, and being no burden to society, Toya found true bliss. Going down the second flight of stairs, he found a swarm of Shadows roaming the floor. Smirking, he pointed his blade, and pulled the trigger. One shot was all it took for him to take one Shadow down, and to get the attention of the rest. Upon the death of one, the rest of the Shadows transformed into their true forms. Three knights in silver armor riding atop their horses, who all seemed to be lead by a note noticeable knight, wearing red armor and riding atop a black horse. He pointed his spear straight towards Toya, as the rest of the knights charged forward at Toya.

"After him! We cannot allow this hazard to continue to continue his onslaught!" The red knight spoke in his demonic tone, as the rest of the knights closed in. Toya was used to dealing with these kinds of enemies already, so this was nothing that worried him. Pulling off his mask, both he and Diabolos showed a sinister smile, before unleashing a blast of cursed magic. On impact, one of the knights was instantly destroyed, leaving only two silver-armored knights left. They kept charging at Toya, jump up above one of the knights, and coming back down with his sword out, incapacitating and killing one of the knights. He stared directly ahead at the red-armored knight, and then jumped off of the horse, lunging towards the knight. His spear collided with the knight's lance, as they began pushing, trying to overpower. While the power struggle was ongoing, the remaining knight began to quiver in fear, before swallowing his doubt and charging forward, trying to attack Toya while he was distracted. Out of the corner of his eye, Toya saw the knight charging forward, gaining speed by the second with his lance pointed straight out at Toya's head. He chuckled, before he stopped pushing against the red knight's lance, instead dodging out of the way of the knight. At that point, the knight was moving too fast to suddenly stop, and as such, his lance directly pierced the red knight's leg. They both gasped in surprise, before Toya jumped on top of the horse from behind the red knight, shoving his blade through his head, and destroying him. The false confidence that the last silver-armored knight had displayed quickly faltered, as he turned around and tried riding away as quickly as possible. Toya pulled out his hookshot, aiming at the horse and firing. He landed a direct hit, pulling himself toward the horse and instantly catching up to the knight, quickly slicing him in two and finishing the job. He took a deep breath, proud of how much stronger he's gotten these past few days. After spending the three-day break from school almost entirely in Mementos, he was able to get so much stronger than he was. He was able to destroy the Shadows with no problem at all. At this rate, he was slowly becoming a known threat in the area. It was strange to him, but in a way, he kind of liked it. For once, he wasn't in someone's shadow. Ken's success as a detective was great, and Toya was happy for him, but... it quickly turned into Ken being so well known that his brother was completely irrelevant. By no means did Toya hate Ken, but he absolutely despised being in his shadow. But now, he wasn't in his shadow anymore. In this world, he felt like a star… like he mattered more than he ever had before- and it felt absolutely amazing. Toya began walking around, trying to look for more Shadows that may have appeared. However, out of nowhere, he heard… voices. He heard sounds of actual people talking, not Shadows. Both confusion and excitement built up in Toya's mind. Could they be good training partners for him? The possibilities were endless. He slowly closed in on the voices, finding himself back at the beginning of the area. He peeked around the corner, finding the source of the voices, and was shocked at what he saw… the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

"The hell is this place…? Wait, our clothes changed!?"

"The Shadows know we're here!?" Is that what the changing of clothes meant? Do they only change when the Shadows know of your presence? That explained a lot to Toya. Perhaps he could learn more if he were to keep watching these four.

"The shadows have known we've been here since the moment we stepped in. Don't worry, we're still safe right here. The Shadows never come up this high, but it's different once you go down. This place is absolutely filled with them."

"More importantly, what is this place!? It's about time you start explaining."

"Mementos is… everyone's Palace. A Palace as grand as the castle only forms when a person's wishes are extremely distorted. So, instead of many individual palaces, the general public has one gigantic shared Palace. That's where we are now… Mementos. Think of it as… the collective unconscious." It was… amazing. This… talking cat, or whatever it really is… it has so much knowledge of the Metaverse. But how? Why does it know so much more than everyone else?

"So what you're saying is… using this place, we can even change the hearts of people who don't have a Palace?"

"Correct! The steps ro do so are slightly different though." Toya began to walk away. At this point, he heard everything he needed to hear. But to think, this entire time, Toya had been training in the collective unconscious of the entire population… the thought rattled his brain. But, it didn't bother him. It was still effective training, and it still didn't bother anyone, so he could continue on without being a bother to anyone. As he was walking away, he suddenly heard footsteps, lots of them. They weren't small, either, they were very distinct. There were Shadows coming, lots of them. Clearly, these weren't just some weak shadows. Toya could feel the pressure from them. These were… stronger than the run of the mill enemies. Even though he knew he should be nervous, he found himself both excited, and disappointed. On one hand, this would finally be a challenge for him. He could truly test himself against an opponent that would be difficult. However, at the same time, the Phantom Thieves were so close to him. What would happen if they came over and found him? Do they know that someone has been trailing them for a while? If they do, will they be able to tell that it's him? The thoughts raced through his mind, but he didn't have time to think anymore. Suddenly, the Shadows were right in front of him, and transforming already. He couldn't afford to pace himself this time, he had to go all out from the start. His gunblade materialized in his hands, as the Shadows finished transforming. There were four red knights on black horses, and one Archangel.

"You cannot escape justice, coward! Come and accept your death!" the Archangel yelled, holding his sword out as all of the knights came charging in at once. Toya's face wasn't one of excitement, nor was it one of fear. Right now, his face only showed pure determination. He knew that no matter what happened, he had to win this fight. He had no choice but to emerge victorious. This time, more than ever before, he had to give it his all. He ran forward, charging at the knights. As he got closer, they all raised their lances in the air, and tried stabbing Toya from above. Toya quickly slid under the horses, taking his blade with them and slicing through their legs. The horses quickly fell to their knees as Toya emerged on the opposite side. However, before he fully emerged, he had already taken his mask off, summoning Diabolos as soon as he was out from underneath the horses. He pointed his sword forward as Diabolos's arms morphed into guns, firing a bullet right through the Archangel. The Archangel fell to his knees as Toya got up, running through and cutting him in half. With the Archangel defeated, all that remained were the knights. They all got off their horses, still holding their spears and charging at Toya. However, they were far too slow for Toya not to react properly. But before he could attack, he heard the sound of tires approaching. Within a few moments, a black van had appeared out of the corner, catching both the attention of Toya, and all of the guards.

"Wait, who is that…?" The car stopped, and out of it came the Phantom Thieves. How did they get a car? Toya questioned how this was even possible, but then suddenly, the car transformed… into the cat. Toya took a step back, and then looked back to the knights. They still weren't looking at him. He had only one chance to get away from the Phantom Thieves, and defeat the knights at the same time. He looked up at the ceiling, and quickly pulled his mask off, just barely not touching his skin. He pointed his blade towards a specific spot on the ceiling, hoping that he would be strong enough for this to work. "Wait, what is he pointing at…?"

"Fire, Diabolos!" Diabolos's arms quickly morphed into guns and shot out, bullets collided with the ceiling. At the same time, Toya fired his blade right next to where Diabolos aimed. The ceiling shaked for a moment, before a piece of it gave out, rocks falling from the ceiling and landing directly on the knights. All four of them disappeared into black mist, as the rubble covered the path, putting a wall between him and the Phantom Thieves. Toya quickly put his mask back on and ran the other way. He knew his way around this floor after going through it this many times, so he knew there was still a way out from here. All he had to do was get out without making contact with the Phantom Thieves. Once he got close enough to the entrance, he'd leave the Metaverse, and go about his day normally like nothing ever happened. He could act this out perfectly fine, he just needed to get far away enough from them…

"Dude, who the hell was that!?" Ryuji yelled out as the group stood there in shock. "Did you guys see anything!?"

"I only saw a black mask… and a Persona. I didn't think there were any other Persona users besides the four of us." Akira's voice was calm, even after what they had witnessed. He looked to the rest of his team. Out of everyone there, the one who's reaction had caught his attention the most was Ann. She was… completely quiet. "Ann…? Is something wrong?"

"I knew it…" Ann kept looking down. Her voice was low, almost as if she was scared to speak. "I knew I felt something watching us… it's been happening for weeks now. Whoever that was… they were probably the same person who knocked Kamoshida's crown off. They must know who we are, too…"

"We have to be careful. If they know who we are and we don't know who they are, then they have control over us. For now, we should continue with what we were doing, but we need to be much more careful about our identities now. Let's refrain from mentioning anything related to the Metaverse until we meet in person, and even when we meet, let's try to be as quiet as we can until we're in the Metaverse. Once we make it to the Metaverse though, we can talk as much as we want. However, for now… we have to be a lot more secretive." Akira looked at his team, as they all nodded in agreement. Being a leader came so naturally to him, and he was good at rallying the team together. They all silently agreed with him, as Morgana transformed back into a car, and they continued on their search through Mementos, trying to find info on their next target.

**May 7th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

Toya was able to get out without any problems, after encountering the Phantom Thieves. His feelings were so… conflicting now. He loved what the Phantom Thieves stood for. They exposed an injustice of society, one that was going to go completely unnoticed by the looks of things. That was absolutely incredible… but he didn't want to do that with them. At the end of the day, Toya was his own man. His outer shell only grew stronger after his father's death, and there… wasn't much he could do about it. Maybe if he saw a familiar face or something, that could help him ease into friendships again… but there really wasn't anyone. Not even his brother was close enough to him to really help. This is just the life he had to get used to… and he would. Eventually, he would get used to this life. But for now… he had to take a break from everything. He had exams soon, so the Phantom Thieves discovering him might not have been the worst thing that could have happened. He could take this time to study and get a good grade on his exams, then he could go back to training in Mementos. But for now… he had to live an honest student life. Surely that couldn't be too hard for him… or, at least, that's what he was hoping. But for now… he really needed to sleep. He had already spent hours in bed beating himself up over getting found.

**May 7th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - LeBlanc**

After a long day in Mementos, Akira finally made it back to LeBlanc. He was more than relieved to be home… or whatever he should refer to LeBlanc as. Once he got upstairs, he felt his phone vibrate. He sat down on his bed and took it out, opening his text messages.

ANN: I can't stop thinking about that guy in the mask…

RYUJI: I can't either. Do you think he knows who we are?

AKIRA: I'm sure he knows who we are by now. Either way, we can't afford to worry about him right now. Stick to the plan and we'll be fine.

ANN: Yeah… I know. I'm just terrified of what would happen if we got found out. Especially of what could happen to you, Akira…

RYUJI: Crap, that's right! If we get exposed, he's done for!

RYUJI: We can't let that happen! We have to think of something!

AKIRA: I agree, but let's wait for a bit. We still need to look into Madarame. Not to mention, we have exams next week.

RYUJI: We have exams next week!?

RYUJI: Crappppppp!

Akira chuckled at his phone, before turning the screen off. He turned off the lights and laid down. Before he drifted off to sleep, he kept thinking of the person in the mask. Just who was it… and does he really know their identities?

**May 7th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**The Velvet Room**

Suddenly from his slumber, Akira's eyes jolted open. He sighed, before getting up and walking to the iron bars.

"It would appear as if you have found this other Metaverse user by chance. However, it seems that your allies are afraid of the knowledge that they may have." Akira looked down, his mind was still filled with thoughts about this Persona user.

"They may be afraid of him, but… I don't think there's anything to fear. After all, if they had the desire to expose us as criminals, wouldn't he have done so already?" Igor chuckled in response to this. He seemed condescending in a way, but perhaps that was just his natural demeanor.

"It seems that your confidence makes up for your team's lack of it. How magnificent." Suddenly, he heard an alarm in the distance sound. He slowly turned around and got onto the wooden bed, closing his eyes and beginning to drift back to sleep. Before he fell asleep, the thoughts of this other Metaverse user came back to him. However, now there was one question that stood out above all the others.

"If this is an enemy, then why did they help us against Kamoshida?"


	5. Justice

**May 15th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya**

"_Please… help…"_

Toya woke up in a cold sweat. What was that voice…? It scared him, but at the same time, he found that voice to be so… calming. It was asking for help, but… from what? What could Toya possibly possibly do to help? He thought for a moment, before he suddenly felt a vibration next to him. He slowly reached down and picked up his phone. He was getting a call from Ken… at this time? He yawned, then answered his phone. "Hello?"

"Oh, you're actually awake this early? I honestly thought I was wasting my time…"

"Yeah, I woke up just a minute ago… wait, was that an insult?"

"Nevermind that- I was wondering if you wanted to go get breakfast. Me and my protégé were in town, and he wanted to meet you. What do you say?"

"Breakfast? Yeah, that sounds good. Where are we meeting?"

"Just get ready. The place is close to you, so we'll just pick you up. We'll be there in about 5 minutes."

"Got it. See you in a few minutes then." The brothers hung up their phones, as Toya went to the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face, trying to wake himself up some more. He still couldn't get those words out of his head… was that just a dream? Or was there something more to it? As much as he wanted to keep thinking about it, he couldn't. This was the first time that his brother ever invited him to go somewhere, and it'd be his first seeing Ken since he moved in to his place. It was weird to think about, but he'd think about that when he had the time. He quickly finished getting ready and went downstairs. Just as he was heading down, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to see his brother, and a boy that couldn't be more than a year older than Toya.

"Sorry for bothering you this early, but this guy has been dying to meet you ever since I told him I have a brother."

"Seriously, it's fine. Besides, life here has slowly helped me get used to being a morning person."

"I'm sure it has…" Ken chuckled ever so slightly. This was the first _normal_ conversation they've had in years. It was a nice breath of fresh air, seeing family again. The young man next to him slowly held his hand out, smirking ever so slightly.

"It's almost impossible to tell you two are brothers! You look almost nothing alike…" Toya held his hand out as well, greeting the young man that Ken had brought with him. He looked more excited than I expected.

"Toya, this is my protégé, Goro Akechi. We only met recently, but he's a total natural. Not only that, but he's simply teeming with potential. Imagine how great of a detective he can become within the next year!"

"Please, you don't need to flatter me so much. Besides, you're the greatest detective of our time! I can only hope to reach anywhere near the amount of success you've had." Akechi and Ken continued talking for a few moments, before turning to me. "Anyways, shall we get going? This would be a great opportunity for the three of us to learn a bit more about each other." The three of them nodded, and began going on their way. This was the first time Ken ever had a protégé. It was weird to see him willingly train somebody, but at the same time, Toya enjoyed the sight of it. Ken always prioritized his work as a detective over anything else, so seeing him willingly spend so much time with somebody was refreshing. Maybe this would be a new chapter in Ken's life, and maybe that meant Toya would finally have a chance to actively interact with his brother. Regardless of how it would turn out, Toya was happy for him.

**May 15th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya**

The three of them were sitting at a table together, chatting about their lives while eating pancakes. Toya was almost impressed by how much Akechi ate… it was impressive, in a really weird way. Suddenly, there was a phone ringing. Ken checked his pocket and sighed.

"Sorry, you two. I have to take this." Ken walked towards the bathroom, leaving Toya and Akechi to themselves.

"So, Toya… you attend Shujin, correct? I've heard rumors in the news about it. I believe it was about a group called the Phantom Thieves, correct?"

"I figured this would come up. Well, to be completely honest, nobody really knows much about them. There are rumors as to who it might be, but there's nothing concrete about it."

"I see. Well, I heard that your brother is gonna have to investigate into them soon. Do you think he'll find anything?"

"I don't know. There don't seem to be many clues… but then again, it's my brother we're talking about. If anyone can find something out, I imagine it's him."

"Hah, I suppose you're right! Your brother has done some remarkable things in his time as a detective. Still though, to think they've gained so much popularity already… they even have a website made by fans already.

"They do? This is my first time hearing about it…"

"I've never been there myself, but people are dubbing it the 'Phan-Site' and posting requests for people they should target…"

"They're already that popular… that's insane…"

"I suppose so. But anyways, there's something I've been wondering. Do you think you'll follow in your brother's footsteps and become a detective?"

"I'm not really sure. I will admit that I have some interest in it, and I've picked up on a thing or two from my brother, but I think I'd prefer working as a part of the police force, to be perfectly honest."

"A police officer? Well, that's a bit unexpected. Why do you think you'd like that?"

"Well… I just value the concept of justice. The person who killed my father is still out there, somewhere… and at this rate, he may never face justice. I don't want people like that to get away from the law with no repercussions. But maybe I could make a difference, if I was there. At least, that's what I hope for."

"Valuing the concept of justice… I suppose we have that in common. Maybe if you go through with this, we can work as partners!"

"Partners… I think I'd like that." The two smirked at each other, thinking to the future. A partner would do both of them really good. Who knows, maybe this could be his first real friendship since he got here. The two exchanged a few more words, before Ken came back in.

"Sorry you two, but I have to go. I'll pay for the food, so don't worry about that."

"That's fine. Besides, I should get going too. I hope to see you some more soon, Toya."

"Yeah. We'll see each other again, I'm sure of it. Thanks for the food, Ken." The three smiled at each other, and parted ways. It was short lived, but seeing his brother was nice. Not to mention that protégé of his, Goro Akechi. He seemed like a good person, who shared his values. Perhaps Toya found his first real friend. He walked outside, taking in the fresh air. When he got outside, he was shocked. There was a certain group of people he was familiar with that weren't too far away from him. He slowly made his way over, being sure to keep some distance.

"This post might be about Madarame."

"Huh? What's it say?"

"It says 'A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV."

"Plagiarizing!?"

"I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing 'shack' and 'Madarame' triggered it. 'His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog…'"

"Above on top of plagiarism, hm…?"

"If this is real, it'll be a huge scandal!"

"I wonder if Kitagawa posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of his." posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of his." posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of his."

"Who knows? It's anonymous and all…"

"In that case… it's possible the Madarame we heard about in Mementos is referring to the same one."

"A man like that doing such a thing…? I wonder if we can ask that Shadow from earlier about this. Oh, actually… we just need to talk to him in reality."

"And how do we go about that? Are we gonna explain it all, startin' with Mementos?"

"Besides, if we make a move out in the open, there's the possibility that Madarame will find out."

"Oh… Yeah, right…"

"Hey, what do you think about Madarame? Doesn't he seem suspicious?"

"He does."

"I know, right? This all fits way too well to be just a coincidence. If this post is legit, ain't this the kinda target we've been waitin' for?"

"Well, yeah, but… Is it really true?"

"By the way, what'd you do about the whole modeling this?"

"Kitagawa gave me his contact info, and the address to his sensei's atelier." gave me his contact info, and the address to his sensei's atelier."

"He said he lives there, righT? Perfect timing. Let's try goin' tomorrow. We're off to Madarame's house right after school!"

"Huh? You want me to model tomorrow!? This is too sudden…"

"What? We're just gonna talk to Kitagawa."

"Oh, that's what you meant…" This was so much information at once… it was almost too much for Toya to handle. Between the Phan-Site, communicating with Shadows, and this Madarame person… the Phantom Thieves were about to be busy. This was a good opportunity for Toya though, maybe he could learn more about the Metaverse like this. However, there was still the problem of trying to stay hidden from them. He was already seen in the Metaverse, but it would be a lot worse if he got found out in public. So instead of following them directly there, he'd do some research on Madarame and start investigating him. Then, when the Phantom Thieves send the calling card, he can follow them into his Palace when the day came. But for now, he had something else he wanted to do. Walking down to the entrance of the subway station, he pulled out his phone, and found the Phan-Site. Akechi was serious… they have an entire website dedicated to them already. Whoever made this website had to attend Shujin, nobody would hear about them on the news and decide to randomly make a website like this. Furthermore, they must have been a victim of Kamoshida… the Phantom Thieves are probably heroes to whoever created this. Either way, that wasn't important right now, not to him. He started scrolling through some of the requests that he saw. After a bit of scrolling, he saw one that caught his attention. Apparently, someone is bullying people at Shujin, and they're taking things too far. It's small-time, but it's a good starting point, and not all targets have to be big ones like Kamoshida or Madarame. Toya smirked as he closed the website, opening the Metaverse app and tapping on Mementos.

**May 15th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Mementos**

Toya stretched, jumping up and down a couple of times and cracking his knuckles. He genuinely missed the feel of the armor he wore in the Metaverse. It may have been heavier than his every day attire, but that was fine. It wasn't so heavy that it became a strain to wear it, but it was enough to make him feel like he was getting stronger just by wearing it. He stepped onto the train tracks, and immediately heard the sound of Shadows making their way towards him. The loud stomping got closer and closer, as Toya stood there, his gunblade materializing in his hands. He twirled it around his hand, looking ahead with a cocky smile. There must have been at least six shadows in front of him, all beginning to transform as soon they laid eyes on him. Six silver knights were right in front of him, all beginning to charge.

"Sorry boys, I'm here for business this time." Toya pulled his mask off, the black shadow materializing behind him once again. "End them now, Diabolos!" Diabolos's grin became bigger than ever before, as it charged dark magic in his hands, and unleashed it. A wave of Dark Magic consumed all of the knights at once, vaporizing them instantly. Toya put his mask on and continued running forward, slicing through and Shadows that approached him. At this point, none of them were any match for him. He had gotten so strong, even though he hadn't been in Mementos for a few days now. Toya continued descending further into Mementos, rushing forward until suddenly, he saw what appeared to be a portal. He thought about his options for a moment, before deciding to jump right in. On the other side of the portal was a single room, with one person standing in the middle. Whoever this was, they had a black aura surrounding them, almost as if they were a Shadow. Technically, they were a Shadow, but it was still… different, in a way.

"It's not my fault! It's theirs for not standing up for themselves!"

"Are you insane? They're at fault for being bullied?"

"Who the hell are you?! The Phantom Thieves are supposed to fight for justice, but you're just targeting me! Are you some kind of failure of a fan? Don't act all high and mighty with me when you don't know anything about me!" Suddenly, the young boy sunk into the ground after becoming the black and red liquid he had come to recognize. A moment later, he emerged, but not as himself. Instead, he was a tiny white… demon? Toya really couldn't tell, but that didn't matter. What mattered is that this person is clearly dangerous, and feels like a cut above the rest of the Shadows he had come into contact with. "I already told you, I didn't do anything wrong… Listen to me, dammit!"

Toya didn't speak a word. Instead, he dashed forward, slashing at the demon. It was a direct hit, but it wasn't enough to take it down. The demon fired shards of ice towards Toya, but they were relatively weak. Toya began deflecting the shards one at a time, trying to gain a bit of distance from it. After getting further away, he pulled off his mask, summoning his Persona. Diabolos's arms turned into guns as it fired at the demon. It was another direct hit, and while it was stronger, it still wasn't enough. Toya wouldn't be able to take this thing down quickly, he had to focus on avoiding attacks and slowly whittle it down. It was going to be a war of attrition, but Toya knew he was smarter than this creature. The fight continued on the way it was, with the demon firing more and more shards of ice at Toya, with him avoiding everything and then using Diabolos to fire back with either bullets or magic. After a few attacks, the demon was unable to stand up straight, still trying to fight but getting progressively weaker. Toya's eyes grew with resolve, as his fighting spirit burned with determination. He charged forward, putting his mask back on and cutting through the demon one more time. With that final attack, it fell to its knees, unable to fight anymore. The demon slowly reverted back into its original humanoid form, once again looking like a normal student.

"B-But… if I don't do it, they're gonna hurt me. I don't want people taking my money from me anymore!"

"What? Who's 'they'?"

"If I don't go after him, I'm the one who's gonna get bullied! I can't take that anymore!"

"So, there's a bully that's forcing other people to bully… how revolting." Toya walked forward, looking down on the young boy. "His name. What's his name?"

"His name is… Yoshimori Sakoda… please, I'm begging you, you have to stop him!" Toya began walking away. To think that someone would force other people do commit acts of violence… some people in this world truly are corrupt.

"I'll handle this." Toya's voice was filled with more anger than ever before. He jumped back into the portal, as the Shadow of the school boy disappeared. On the other side of the portal, Toya felt angrier than he has in a while, as he began running. He descended down further into Mementos, still destroying Shadows on his way without a second thought. He found the portal after a few minutes, and took a deep breath, before jumping in. On the other side of the portal was another schoolboy, this one looking different, with a much more noticeable aura. This one was a lot stronger than the last, that much was obvious. Toya slowly walked towards the Shadow, the anger visible in his eyes.

"You think you can blame me for what I've done? Idiot. It's a dog eat dog world! The weak who can't survive in this world become prey for the strong. There's nothing wrong with that! I'll destroy anyone who dares disagree with that!" Toya continued walking forward. He clenched his fist, looking at the boy with disgust.

"Do you think you're above other humans? Do you really think you're strong for ordering others around like that, forcing them to do horrible things to other people!?" Toya raised his voice, stopping right in front of him and staring straight into his eyes. "People like _you_ are exactly what's wrong with this world. People who think they're stronger than others for being an asshole have no right to talk about what's right or wrong! For the sake of all the people you've bossed around, and all the people who have been physically and mentally scarred by you…" Toya took off his mask, Diabolos quickly coming out and smirking, a sinister smile to be seen. With his other hand, Toya lifted up his gunblade, pointing it directly at Sakoda. "The devil will be the one to judge you!"Sakoda quickly turned into a liquid substance, morphing into something that looked similar to the white demon, but… inverted. Instead of being small, it was huge. Instead of being white, it was black. It's eyes were red and it wore purple, as it looked at Toya.

"Let me help you understand what survival of the fittest truly means! I'll destroy you!" The demon quickly charged up ice magic and fired it at Toya. He held up his blade to defend himself, but still took damage from it. This one was much, _much_ stronger than the previous one. The sheer cold of the magic was insane, but Toya didn't care. He was filled with too much anger now. Toya held his blade forward, aiming at the demon as Diabolos's arms morphed.

"I'll show you what strength _really_ is!" Toya and Diabolos both fired, causing two bullets to rip through the air, both making direct contact. The demon covered it's face, but was still pushed back by the impact.

"You call that strength!? That was-" The demon was cut short as Toya charged forward, slicing straight through. Having no time to protect itself, that attack hurt _much_ more than the bullets. The demon screamed out in pain, as Toya's eyes became filled with pure rage. He slashed at the demon again, and again, and again. He couldn't stop himself anymore. He simply gave in to the anger that was built up, and let loose. For what felt like an eternity for the demon, Toya continued slashing away, with no intention of stopping. After a while, he finally stopped, as the demon fell down to the floor, morphing back into his original form.

"I'm… I'm strong… aren't I?

"You're pathetic. You try to boss others around, and you're pathetically weak. It's despicable." Toya kicked Sakoda while he laid on the ground, causing him to wince in pain. "You want to be strong? Then start doing the right thing. That's what true strength comes from… not from being some self-entitled asshole." Sakoda looked up at Toya. He was terrified, but… he understood. He slowly faded away, leaving behind a crystal. Toya picked it up in his hand and looked at it. It was an extremely dark shade of purple, and cold to the touch. But still… it was nice. If anything, it was a memento of what Toya accomplished here today. He put his mask back on, and made his way out of Mementos. He was satisfied with what he accomplished today. Even if it was much more violent than anything he's done before in the Metaverse, he felt good about it. As he made it back to the entrance, he took out his phone and began leaving the Metaverse, with only one thought in his mind.

"I will stop at nothing to enforce my justice."

* * *


	6. Discovered

**May 20th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Classroom**

The day was finally over… Toya's boredom was beginning to eat away at him. For the past few days, he's been going straight to Madarame's art exhibit after school, looking for any clues as to why the Phantom Thieves have been targeting him. However, he couldn't find a single thing. From what he could gather, Madarame was an innocent old man, just showing his love for art to the world. Toya could appreciate good pieces of art, but going there day after day while trying to get hints as to what kind of horrible things he might have done. Toya was well aware that Kamoshida's abusive behavior was only spoken of in rumor, but this was even harder to pin down. With Kamoshida, there was actual evidence of his abuse, given the physical wellbeing of the volleyball team. But with Madarame, it was different… there was no evidence to be seen. Come to think of it, Toya wasn't sure why Madarame was even being targeted. Perhaps the Phantom Thieves were just trying to get their name out there… it was impossible to tell. Toya stood still for a bit trying to process this, until suddenly he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked his phone, only to see a text from an unknown number.

?: Sorry to bother you if I'm wrong, but this is Toya Kazero, correct?

TOYA: That's correct… Who is this?

?: Phew, I was worried that I forgot the number Ken gave me!

?: I'm Goro Akechi. We had breakfast last week with your brother, remember?

TOYA: Of course I remember. What's up?

AKECHI: I've been looking further into the incident at Shujin for Ken. It seems there's a lot more to unravel than I had originally anticipated. I'm currently on the train on my way there right now, so I was wondering if you'd like to investigate some things with me.

TOYA: I'd love to! I'm still at the school, so I'll be waiting by the school gate. Let me know when you're here.

AKECHI: Great! I'll be there in just a couple minutes. See you soon.

It was as if Toya's prayers had been answered. Finally, _something_ interesting was happening. This was a good chance for him to deepen his bond with Akechi as well, so maybe he'd be able to get closer to his brother in the process. No matter what way he looked at it, this was a win-win situation for both of them. He went outside and waited by the school gate for a couple minutes, until Akechi showed up.

"Thanks for agreeing, Toya. There's so much more to this place than I originally thought…"

"It's not a problem. What's something you had your eyes on, anyways?"

"Well, as you can expect, I've been looking further into who the Phantom Thieves might be. Tell me, have you ever heard of a girl named Shiho Suzui?" Toya looked down for a moment. He remember who Shiho was, he remembered perfectly well.

"I've never personally talked to her or anything, but… I know who she is. Why do you ask?"

"I've heard rumors about her involvement with Kamoshida. Supposedly the two of them had some kind of connection, but the media is doing everything in their power to cover it up. Do you think there's anything to her story I should know?"

"Shiho Suzui hasn't been to the school for a while. She attempted suicide by jumping off of the school rooftop before I got here. When Kamoshida was confessing his crimes, he stated that he was the reason she did that in the first place."

"Jumping off of a rooftop… I see. I suppose that eliminates the possibility of her being connected to the Phantom Thieves, then."

"Well… it eliminates the possibility of a direct connection, true. However, that doesn't mean that her death wasn't relevant to the rise of the Phantom Thieves. After all, an attempted suicide of a friend could prove as motive for revenge."

"Revenge… I see. I suppose that could be the case, then. You wouldn't happen to know anyone who would be close enough to her?"

"Unfortunately not. My social life in terms of school isn't the most active, to be perfectly honest. Besides… it could be one, given that Shiho was also on the volleyball team. There are too many suspects to truly pin it down."

"I see. Well, regardless, this truly has been insightful. Maybe being a detective truly does run in your family, after all!"

"Oh, stop. I've just picked up a thing or two from Ken, that's all."

"I suppose that makes sense too. Well, I think I'll be taking my leave now. I wonder how Ken will react when he hears how helpful his brother has been."

"I just hope it helps with the investigation. I owe a lot to my brother, after all."

"I'm sure he appreciates the help. Well, I'll be going now. Take care, Toya."

"You too. Tell Ken I wished him best of luck with the investigation!" With that, Toya and Akechi parted ways. Toya planned his next move, and realized that he couldn't be bothered to go back to Madarame's exhibit… not today, he was rather tired. Instead, he decided to go to the library and look for a book to read. However, as he walked away, someone slowly turned the corner, someone who had been eavesdropping on their conversation. She looked to Toya who was walking back into school. She stared for a moment, then began walking away, questioning what she saw and heard.

"Goro Akechi is investigating our school… and he's talking with a student named… Toya?" She paused for a moment, trying to recall something from deep in her memory. "Toya… Why does that name sound so familiar?"

**May 20th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

"However, there was more to this demon than met the eye. While it's shadowy appearance was already creepy, it is said that Diabolos is the manifestation of a deity's shadow. While rumored for centuries, it has never been confirmed whether or not this is true or not, nor are there any hints as to what this deity is being referred to." Toya sighed, closing his book and staring at the ceiling. It was an interesting book, but so speculative… Toya wondered about it for a moment before he stopped caring so much. It was time he went to sleep anyways. He'd decided that if the Phantom Thieves were to act, it wouldn't be on a school day. Targeting Kamoshida was different since he worked at the school, but Madarame was so far away... there was no way they were going to do something like that immediately after school. Therefore, the most logical time for them to send out a calling card would be on Sunday. It was already Friday night, so it wouldn't be long now. Toya turned off his lights and began drifting off to sleep, his final thoughts about the book he was reading.

"The shadow of a deity…"

**May 21st, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - LeBlanc**

Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had decided their plan. Tomorrow was the day they'd send their calling card to Madarame and change his heart. They moved quickly thanks to Yusuke's help, and were already prepared to take Madarame down. Akira went up to his room as he felt his phone vibrate.

MISHIMA: You did it!

MISHIMA: The horrible bullying that's been happening at Shujin has finally gone down.

MISHIMA: The victims of the bullying were thanking the Phantom Thieves on the Phan-Site. I knew you guys would help them!

Akira read Mishima's texts with complete confusion. Bullying…? They never dealt with any bullies. They've been so focused on Madarame's Palace that they haven't had time for anything else, especially not something like that.

"You're worried about it too?" Morgana crawled out of Akira's bag, laying down on the table for a moment before looking at Akira. "The only explanation for that would be someone going to Mementos and changing their hearts, but we never did that…"

"Do you think it was the other Metaverse user?"

"The one in the black mask? Well, it certainly could be. We have no way of knowing for sure though." Akira and Morgana thought about it silently for a while. That other Metaverse user… was he really doing something like that? Could it be that he wasn't as bad as the Phantom Thieves had anticipated? Akira's train of thought was suddenly cut off as he felt his phone vibrate again.

RYUJI: Yo, I tried changing the chat icon.

ANN: Looks the same to me.

RYUJI: Maybe it's just for the group and doesn't show up in here…

RYUJI: Well, you should take a look later. It's that Phantom Thieves logo I had Yusuke draw for us. The calling card turned out great 'cause of him too.

RYUJI: Anyways, this is the first job for the Phantom Thieves. We really can't screw this up, k?

ANN: I know.

RYUJI: And make sure Yusuke gets a lot of rest today, OK?

ANN: Yup.

RYUJI: Welp, see y'all tomorrow!

AKIRA: Hang on.

AKIRA: There's something I have to talk to you two about.

ANN: Did something happen?

AKIRA: Mishima just texted me. He said that the Phantom Thieves were getting praise for changing the hearts of some bullies at Shujin.

AKIRA: Neither of you did anything like that, right?

RYUJI: I didn't even know that bullies were a problem…

ANN: I've heard about the bullies, but I never even considered that we could change their hearts…

ANN: How do you think it happened?

AKIRA: There's only one suspect that comes to mind.

AKIRA: Remember that guy in the black mask we saw at Mementos?

RYUJI: No way! You think he's going around changing people's hearts in Mementos?

ANN: Wait… If he's targeting people at Shujin, do you think he's a student?

AKIRA: It's possible. If you two hear anything about the Phantom Thieves changing people's hearts that we haven't done, be sure to tell the rest of us, okay?

AKIRA: This should go without saying, but make sure you two don't even go into Mementos alone, either. For all we know, there could be dangers we never even imagined

ANN: Yeah, of course. Should we tell Yusuke?

AKIRA: Not yet. Let's deal with Madarame before we even consider dealing with this other Metaverse user.

AKIRA: Sorry to worry you two before the heist tomorrow. Try to get some rest now though. Like Ryuji said, we really can't mess this up.

RYUJI: Got it!

ANN: Yeah. See you two tomorrow!

**May 22nd, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Art Exhibit**

Toya woke up early and made sure he was at the art exhibit early. Once he was there, he saw calling cards posted all around the outside of the exhibit. He picked one up, and began reading it to himself. "Sir Ichiryusai Madarame, a great sinner of vanity whose talent has been exhausted. You are an artist who uses his authority to shamelessly steal the ideas of his pupils. We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, the Phantom Thieves…" Toya quickly put the card in his pocket and ran made his way inside. He saw Madarame standing there with someone who seemed to seem to have authority at the exhibit. Toya listened in on their conversation.

"Are you insinuating that this slander is true…?" Madarame's usually carefree expression was gone. The anger was visible on his face, and Toya noticed it instantly. A reaction like this… could only come from someone who truly is guilty. Perhaps there was more to this story than he originally thought. Toya suddenly felt a slight headache, blinking and then noticing that the room around him was black. In front of him, there were two people. One was Madarame, and the other was… someone with blue hair. Toya had never seen him, but this was so similar to what happened with Kamoshida. Not to mention, Madarame's attire became that of a shogun. Even still, that didn't explain one thing… who is this person in blue hair? They had to be another Metaverse user… could they be working alongside the Phantom Thieves? Regardless, whoever this was, he was Toya's best chance at getting to Madarame's Palace. The room around the two of them reverted to how it was originally, and the boy began walking off. Toya followed him from a distance, trying his best not to be seen. No matter what, he couldn't be spotted. However, as soon as the boy turned the corner, he saw the rest of the Phantom Thieves waiting for him. It was true… they were working together. Perhaps he was a new member? Whatever the case was… Toya had to follow them. He could get into Madarame's Palace this way, and then he could verify if there was any true justice in their methods.

**May 22nd, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Madarame's Palace**

Toya had to wait a little while before actually entering the Palace. If he went in at the same time as the Phantom Thieves, he would've been found instantly. Thankfully, they entered the Metaverse next to Madarame's shack, meaning he already had two of the three words he needed to enter the Palace. It didn't take a genius to guess that the third and final keyword would be museum, so he was able to enter the Palace in no time. Once he was there, he saw no sign of the Phantom Thieves, meaning he was safe to explore around. He hadn't previously been here, so this was new to him. However, he wasn't here to take in the atmosphere. He was here to judge if the Phantom Thieves were truly just or not. He took out his hookshot and got to the top of the museum, looking around until finally spotting them. The Phantom Thieves were there, standing in front of Madarame. Toya used his hookshot and maneuvered around the Palace, making his way closer and getting into hiding. He had a good view of them, as he sat atop an oversized tree branch.

"I've heard that you destroy your 'art' once they outlive their usefulness… Did that include my mother as well?"

"She just so happened to have a seizure in front of me. That's when a thought crossed my mind. If I don't call for help and leave her be, I could obtain her painting without any strings attached." Toya was taken back by this. This old man who seemed like he couldn't hurt anyone… let a woman die just to take her artwork? Toya had never seen it before, but this confirmed it… Madarame was truly corrupt to his core. Everything about him was all for his own self-interest, even if it meant people had to die for it.

"You killed her…!"

"The artistic talents you inherited from your mother were a delightful miscalculation, though. If I'm to steal ideas, it's much easier robbing the future of brats who won't talk back than adults. It's thanks to you that I came up with the idea. You have my gratitude." Strangely enough, after hearing this… the blue haired boy began chuckling. The look on the faces of the Phantom Thieves were slowly growing more and more concerned.

"Yusuke…?"

"I thank you, Madarame… Every reason for me to forgive you has disappeared without a trace at this very moment. You aren't some rotten artist… You're a despicable fiend who wears the skin of an artist!"

"All you good-for-nothings…! Barging into my museum and doing whatever the hell you want…" Suddenly, a dark aura began to emanate from Madarame. Toya recognized this… it was just like with Kamoshida. "Those who have the connections make the rules; those who don't, follow them. Not to mention, the value of art is all subjective! I make the rules in the art scene! I am the supreme being! I am the god of the art world!" Madarame began to laugh uncontrollably, before suddenly morphing. The black, liquid-like substance took over him, as his body morphed. He became… paintings. Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. With this, the fight finally begun. The Phantom Thieves went on the offensive instantly, using as many attacks as they could. Their goal was obvious, they wanted to take down every single painting at once. The one Toya was paying the most attention to, however, was the blue haired one that Ann referred to as Yusuke. The way he swung his sword around, and his tone of voice… it was as if he was engulfed by his own rage. Suddenly, Yusuke jumped into the air, slicing through the two eyes, and stabbing the nose. They broke into pieces and became a dark liquid, before Yusuke turned around and pulled off his mask, his Persona being summoned. Just as his was summoned, so was everyone else's. Immediately, the final painting, Madarame's mouth, was bombarded by elemental abilities. Akira used dark magic, Ryuji used lightning, the cat used wind, Ann used fire, and Yusuke used ice. It was an amazing display of skill, and due to all of them attacking at once, the painting quickly fell. As the final painting turned into the dark liquid, it all sunk into the ground, and out came Madarame.

"Dammit… I'm the great Madarame… The Madarame who gathers a full crowd every time he opens an exhibit! I'm not someone that worthless brats like you are allowed to defy…!"

"You still have the nerve to say such things!? You will fully taste the wrath of those who were preyed upon by you!" Yusuke yelled, as all of the Phantom Thieves attacked at once. The amount of damage they were able to do was evident in the way Madarame stumbled, but it wasn't enough to take him back. They continued attacking him over and over, before Madarame sunk back into the ground. Once again, he turned into four paintings. He tried attacking, but the Phantom Thieves were quick. Yusuke and Ryuji both jumped into the air and went for the eyes, while Akira, Ann, and the cat all attacked the mouth. It was worth noting that the mouth seemed to be much more durable than the rest of the paintings. In just a few strikes, the two eyes fell down and sunk into the pool of ink that formed below Madarame's paintings. Once the eyes were down, Yusuke and Ryuji looked towards each other. They nodded, as Yusuke jumped into the air, Ryuji jumped in between the paintings of the nose and the mouth, hitting the nose straight up into the air, while Yusuke came down with his katana. Yusuke pierced straight through the nose, as it sunk into the ground with the eyes. "Now, everyone!" Yusuke yelled to his team as their masks all came off once more, summoning their Personas and firing away at the final painting of Madarame's. Toya smirked, watching their teamwork was beautiful, in a way. With the painting of the mouth being destroyed once more, Madarame came out from the ink on the ground.

"Dammit… Dammit… Stop it, you brats, or else…!"

"You think we'll be daunted by such threats…!?" They wasted no time striking Madarame once again. All of them charged forward at once, relentlessly attacking Madarame's exposed body. That last bit of damage proved to be too much for Madarame to handle. Dark aura began seeping out of his body, before he fell down, unable to fight back for any longer.

"Eek…!" Madarame began trying to crawl away from Yusuke, who was slowly approaching him, a look of rage still visible in his eyes. "No one cares for true art… All they want are easily recognizable brands…! I'm a victim in this too…! Wouldn't you agree!?"

"Excuses now…?"

"The art world revolves around money after all… You can't rise up without any money… Yusuke, you understand, don't you!? Being a poor artist is truly miserable… I just didn't want to return to that life!"

"A fiend like you has no right to speak about the world of art. You're done for, along with this abominus world!" Yusuke held Madarame up, with his katana in his other hand. The look of anger Yusuke had displayed… this wasn't good. Yusuke was going to murder Madarame at this rate. A look of genuine terror was on Madarame's face, as Yusuke held him up in the air, his blade already being drawn back.

"No, please! Don't-" Yusuke's enraged expression only grew fiercer as his blade came closer. Toya felt like he was watching it all happen in slow motion, as Yusuke's blade was inching closer and closer to Madarame.

"This… isn't justice…!" Toya's eyes burned with determination, as he quickly pulled his mask off, just barely not covering his face. Diabolos was summoned quickly, his arms quickly morphing into guns and aiming down. "Do it now, Diabolos!" Within moment's notice, Diabolos fired two bullets through the air. They quickly made their way down, striking Yusuke's blade and sending it flying away. Everyone had a shocked expression, as they all looked towards where the bullet came from, only to see a man holding a mask in front of him, with what appeared to be a Persona behind him.


	7. The Chase

**May 22nd, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Madarame's Palace**

There was a brief moment of silence. Toya simply stood atop the tree branch while looking down at the Phantom Thieves, who were all looking back at him. Meanwhile, Madarame was whimpering while slowly trying to crawl away.

"It's him…! The one in the black mask… h-he's really here!" Toya's gaze turned to Madarame. How has Madarame already heard of him, even though this was the first time entering the Palace? Regardless of how Madarame knew, it didn't matter. Toya couldn't stay around for any longer, he had to run. If he could escape the Metaverse, then he'd be free. He quickly pulled out his hookshot, firing towards the rooftop and beginning his escape. He pushed every thought aside, his only concern now being escaping with his secret in tact.

"No way, I'm not letting this asshole escape again!" Ryuji yelled out as he ran in the masked man's direction. This was at least the second time that the group had run into this person. Whoever this was, he had to know something about the Phantom Thieves, or at least he had to be spying on them.

"...Madarame. What do you know about this person? Just who are they?" Akira's calm and assertive tone grabbed everyone's attention, all eyes turning to him as he slowly walked towards Madarame.

"I've only heard rumors, but… there's supposedly a man in a black mask who's been invading Palaces. He takes everything that he can, and kills the person in charge…" Madarame's face turned had become a mix of dread and desperation. "Please! Please, you can't let him kill me!" The Phantom Thieves all looked at eachother. Their faces were filled with concern. While Akira, Morgana, and Ann all knew of this person, Yusuke stood in confusion and doubt. His anger was still very much there, but it was no longer directed towards Madarame. All of his anger was now directed at himself for trying to murder him, even though he knew it was wrong. He picked up Madarame's Treasure, the true Sayuri, as well as his weapon. He didn't say another word, not to anyone. He simply went on, trapped in his own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Ryuji was still chasing after Toya. Ryuji was faster on his feet, but Toya's hookshot proved valuable in his escape. He was able to go places that Ryuji never could on foot alone, but that didn't stop Ryuji. Whether it was idiocy or pure determination, Ryuji refused to quit running. As Ryuji inched closer and closer, he quickly pulled off his mask, summoning his Persona.

"Take him down, Captain Kidd!" Toya turned his head, only to see Ryuji's Persona fully summoned, charging a bolt of lightning to send right towards him. Toya couldn't possibly outrun lightning, so he had to do the next best thing. He pulled off his mask, the dark shadow forming behind him as he jumped into the air, shooting his hookshot towards the open skylight. He turned back to Ryuji once more as he was being dragged towards freedom, a look of determination burning in his eyes.

"Stop his attack, Diabolos!" He yelled it out, as Diabolos fired it's own magic. Ryuji's lightning and Toya's dark magic clashed with each other, causing an explosion that blocked both of their vision. However, by the time the smoke cleared, Toya was already gone. He used the clash as a distraction to get through the skylight and out of the museum, and the Metaverse as a whole. Once he was out, he ran straight home, not wanting to stay around for even a second longer. For all he knew, Ryuji was still chasing after him, and he especially couldn't be found now that he had no mask. With this in mind, he kept running, never looking back.

Back inside the Palace, Ryuji was beating himself up over losing him. He was so close, he just needed to be a little faster, and while a big part of him wanted to blame Kamoshida for breaking his leg, he also blamed himself. He was right there, he was so close… if he was just a little bit faster, he could have caught up. He could have gotten answers for his team. He stood still in self doubt for a while, before suddenly, he felt the entire Palace shaking. He saw the rest of the Phantom Thieves running towards him, everyone trying to escape. Taking the hint, he and everyone else got out of the Palace as quickly as they could. He'd think about what happened later, but for now, they _had_ to run. Taking out their phones, they all escaped the Metaverse, returning to the real world. Immediately upon getting back, Ryuji was beating himself up.

"Dammit… dammit! I was so close!" Ryuji's anger at himself was becoming too much for him to simply restrain.

"I must admit, I am rather confused. Do you four know of this masked man?" It was like nobody could think of anything else that went down at Madarame's Palace. Even Yusuke, who had just experienced so many raw emotions, was more concerned with this character."

"We've encountered him before, but only once. When we did, he just ran off. But… this was different. Last time, he tried his hardest not to interact with us. But now… he directly got involved with us, even if he ran away immediately after. Whoever this person is… it's clear that they're _very_ aware of who we are. It's highly likely that they've been following us around for a while, too." Akira stood there, explaining all of his jumbled up thoughts on the matter as well as trying to make sense out of it in his own head.

"Well, no matter what we decide to do, let's celebrate the win we got. We took down our second big target, after all. There's no doubting the success we had today." Everyone looked toward Morgana, nodding in agreement. They all continued talking to each other, but even in the midst of the conversation, there was still the issue of Ryuji's anger. He stopped showing it, but deep down… he was so angry at himself. If what Madarame told the rest of them is true, that the man in the mask was really infiltrating Palaces and murdering people… Ryuji would feel responsible for it, for failing to stop him when he had the chance. He did his best not to show it to anyone so as not to worry them, but deep down, it was killing him. How could he cope with that frustration? What was he going to do to make himself feel better about screwing everything up? He really didn't know what to do about it, and that just made him feel even worse about it. He didn't participate in the conversation much anymore, rather just waiting a bit longer until they all parted ways.

"I'll make up for messing up… I swear I will…"

**May 23rd, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Toya became much more nervous than he was before. While he was sure that he escaped without his identity being compromised, he was still questioning if there was a chance that they had even a slight idea of who he was. He sighed, before taking out his phone, staring at the Metaverse Navigator. He questioned himself for another moment, before deciding to tap on the app, and enter Mementos. If there was any way he could clear his mind of everything that had happened, it was definitely doing some fighting in Mementos. There might even be new Shadows available to him, since it had been a while since he entered. He tapped his phone, closing his eyes for a brief moment before putting it back in his pockets. While it creeped him out at first, he had grown to enjoy the atmosphere of Mementos. He slowly began his descent down into Mementos, feeling the shift in his clothes as he was finally underground. Before suddenly, he heard a voice from the shadows.

"I knew you'd come here…" Toya's eyes widened, genuine fear striking him as he turned around, taking a step away from the voice he heard. Slowly coming out of the shadows was a boy no older than him, wearing mostly black with a red tie, and the mask of a skull. There was no denying who this was, he recognized the hair almost instantly. "This is where we first saw you, before we began investigating Madarame. Somehow, I had a feeling that you'd return here…" Ryuji began walking towards him, hints of anger were present in his tone of voice as he inched closer, looking Toya directly in his eyes. "You know who I am already, don't you?"

"...Ryuji Sakamoto. You're a second year at Shujin Academy… and you're one of the Phantom Thieves." Toya kept his distance. He wasn't sure what Ryuji wanted, but whatever it was, there was a very good chance it wasn't good for him…

"You already know so much...I guess that can only mean one thing. You're a student at Shujin too, aren't you?"

"What do you want, Ryuji?"

"When I was chasing after you yesterday, you got away from me. Then, when we got out, and I learned what Madarame told everyone else about you… I was furious with myself. I let someone like you get away from me…"

"Wait, what? What the hell does Madarame know about me?"

"Don't play dumb, dammit! Madarame everyone else about the man in the black mask. Infiltrating Palaces, getting all the money you can and killing the owner in the process... " Ryuji gripped his pipe harder, a look of anger overflowing his eyes. "What kind of a psychopath are you!?"

"Hang on, I have no idea what you're talking about… I haven't killed anyone!"

"Stop lying, it's obviously you! Otherwise, you wouldn't have spent so much time running away from us!" It was no use. Ryuji wasn't listening to reasoning. "I won't let you do that again, though. There's nowhere for you to run this time, psycho!" Ryuji began pulling his mask off. Toya had no choice now… he had to fight. His gunblade materialized in his hand as he slowly pulled his own mask off, his Persona appearing behind him. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice… he'd have to fight Ryuji.


	8. The Skull of Rebellion

**May 23rd, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Ryuji wasted no time charging straight in. To him, this was everything. This was his chance to redeem himself for screwing things up, his chance to get answers for his team… he could finally prove himself. This burning determination, the fire that burned in his heart… that sheer willpower is what kept him going, and what drove him to find the masked man here. But even still, there was a shred of doubt in his mind. He never saw this masked man in battle, not really. He's seen his Persona before, but never in a real fight. For the most part, he's only ever see him run away from them. However, Ryuji had hope. Maybe that meant that whoever was under that mask was actually weak, and afraid to get into a real fight with someone. Whether this was true or not was up for debate, but Ryuji had to hope that it was. Otherwise, he was fighting someone much stronger than him, and he was alone. Jumping up into the air, Ryuji came down with his pipe in hand, going on the offensive right away. Toya stepped back, trying to keep his distance from Ryuji as best as he could. Regardless of Ryuji wanting to attack him, or thinking he was some psychopath… this isn't what Toya wanted. Toya didn't want this fight to happen in the first place, he wanted to stay as far away from the Phantom Thieves as possible, at least for a while. He began thinking about what he could do, how he could keep Ryuji away from him, and potentially tire him out. That was his best option now, to end the fight without causing much damage. In the midst of his thought process, Ryuji came charging in once more, swinging his pipe in Toya's direction. Toya continued trying to dodge all of his attacks, only using his weapon to block.

"Stop this, Ryuji! I'm not trying to hurt you!"

"Shut UP!" Ryuji wasn't calming down, not even in the slightest. If anything, it just made Ryuji more aggressive. He began to push Toya back, every strike having more force behind it than the last, and even becoming faster. Toya couldn't just dodge anymore, he had to use his gunblade to block everything. Thankfully, this was working out quite well for him. Despite how much stronger Ryuji seemed to get out of nowhere, Toya knew he was stronger, he knew that for sure. He was confident enough in his stamina to be able to outlast Ryuji's, which would make for a good escape window. As long as Ryuji didn't see what was under his mask, he was free. With his plan finally decided, he pushed back for a moment, forcing Ryuji away from him as he turned around and began running. Ryuji could be heard yelling in the distance as he began running as well, chasing Toya down.

Toya had to get through Shadows to create more distance. As he began to descend further down, he suddenly saw Archangels making their way to him, a horde of them. He quickly pulled his mask off, his Persona appearing behind him, looking as malevolent as ever before.

"Destroy them, Diabolos!" Diabolos's arms morphed as he fired, sending bullets through the Shadows and killing them instantly. He felt stronger just by fighting them, probably because this was his first time fighting Shadows in a few days now. He continued to run, but he heard footsteps. Ryuji was catching up already, despite the head start Toya had. He couldn't stop to think about how, he just had to keep running.

"Do it now, Captain Kidd!" Toya heard Ryuji suddenly scream from behind him. He was actually going to attack now? Toya held his mask in his hands as he barely covered his face, turning around to attempt a counterattack. However, he noticed that Captain Kidd's lightning was off target. It wasn't even going to come close to hitting him… was he up to something?

"Stop him, Diabo-" Toya's speech was suddenly cut off. He heard something breaking apart. Turning away from Ryuji and looking up, he saw the ceiling above him, cracked and torn apart until suddenly, it came crashing down. Toya had to jump back and cover his eyes, trying not to get hurt by the impact of it hitting the ground.

"You're wide open!" Toya's eyes widened. Turning around, he saw Ryuji coming down from the air with his pipe in his hands, before landing down and hitting Toya right in the face, sending him into the wall next to him. Toya's body recoiled off the wall, the pain spreading to his entire body as his sword fell out of his hands. Suddenly, he was hit by another fierce swing of Ryuji's pipe. This one hit straight on, sending Toya flying through the air. "Finish him, Captain Kidd!" Toya opened his eyes as his body went through the air, only to see Ryuji's Persona charging it's magic attack. Toya tried bracing himself, but it was no use. Unable to pull off his mask in time, Toya got shocked by Captain Kidd's lightning, as his body hit the fallen rubble behind him. The impact of all of this brute force was almost unbearable. Toya's body laid there, eyes barely opened as breathing heavily. Toya could feel his consciousness fading. He tried so hard to get out of this situation without hurting Ryuji… and that might be the end of him. His vision got more and more blurry as he looked forward. He saw Ryuji slowly making his way towards him. Was this really… the end? Was his life going to come to a close this early?

_"Please… help…"_

That voice again…

_"The only one… potential…"_

The only one… potential…? This voice, it was so… calming, but it concerned him. Who was this… and why did they need him? What could he do for this person? He suddenly felt his body being lifted into the air, as he barely opened his eyes. He saw Ryuji holding him up, staring into his eyes.

"Any last words, psychopath?" Those words… psychopath. Toya wasn't a psycho, he was… he was trying to be a hero. He was fighting for justice, no matter what it meant. He swore that he would get justice for his father, and stop at nothing to accomplish this. At that moment, Toya remembered… that he couldn't die here. No matter what he did, no matter how bad things got… he had to keep fighting. He had to live through this situation, no matter how horrible it looked. If he survived, if he managed to find a way to get out of this alive… then he could avenge his father. He could do the thing that nobody else possibly could. This was his justice. Nobody's but his own… and that's why no matter what happened, he had to live.

"You bastard…"

"What was that!?" Ryuji's anger suddenly returned, but his anger was suddenly overshadowed by worry and fear, as a strong gust of wind pushed him away, allowing Toya to stand on his own two feet once again, picking his weapon back up in the process.

"I've gone through hell and back trying to figure everything out on my own… I've even gone through the trouble of trying my absolute hardest to not harm you during all of this." Toya's eyes burned with a fierce determination, staring right at Ryuji. "I don't care who you are… I don't care how many hearts you change… I don't care how many happy endings you think you cause! No true hero attacks someone based on random assumptions! That's why…" Toya gripped his gunblade tightly. The fiery determination in his eyes burned brighter than ever before, as a blue flame erupted around him. He quickly pointed his weapon forward, grabbed his mask, holding it in place to summon Diabolos, looming over Toya with a face that scared Ryuji to his very core. "The devil will be the one who judges your justice!" Ryuji stepped back. Up until now, the masked man was just running away from him. This was the first time he ever showed his power, his real power. This was the first time Ryuji got a good look at his Persona as well… Diabolos. Even the name of it sent chills down his spine, it just sounded so… sinister. Was he in over his head? No… he couldn't be. He had to believe in himself, he had to believe in his own power. He clenched his fist, before charging in again, not letting the fear shake him.

"To hell with that judgement of yours! Just because you're fighting back now doesn't mean you're going to scare me off! I swore to myself that I'd redeem myself for failing at Madarame's Palace, and this is how!" Ryuji got close to Toya before trying to bash Toya's head in with an overhead swing, but Toya was faster now. He quickly held his gunblade out in front of him, blocking Ryuji's attack. The two of them began pushing against each other, but Toya was a step ahead. Using his feet, he quickly kicked Ryuji's left leg, the one Kamoshida already broke once. Ryuji winced in pain and shock, causing the force from his attack to complete fade. Toya took this opportunity to push Ryuji off of him and kick him once more, this time right in his chest. For the first time in the entire fight, Toya was being aggressive, and that terrified Ryuji. This was the masked man he heard about, the one who was running around murdering people and taking the riches from Palaces. Ryuji fell on his back, struggling to get back up. His leg was in horrible shape after getting kicked so hard, it felt like it was going go fall off. He tried picking himself up, only to see Toya walking towards him, with Diabolos looming above him, a truly malevolent spirit.

"Judge him, Diabolos!" Ryuji's eyes widened just at the sound of those words. This was it… he was in over his head. This masked man… he was a monster. There was nothing Ryuji could do anymore… he was finished. Diabolos charged a dark spell in his hands, his silver smile growing and becoming even more sinister. Ryuji closed his eyes, thinking about his team one last time. He couldn't muster up any anger now… only disappointment in himself. He let his team down… and it was gonna cost him his life. He waited there, accepting his fate.

"Everyone... I'm sorry..." He laid still and braced himself… and suddenly, he was tired. A massive wave of exhaustion hit him all at once, and suddenly... he was asleep. Toya sighed, looking at Diabolos. They stared at each other for a brief moment, before Toya looked away, walking towards Ryuji.

"Diabolos could have easily killed you... yet instead, he decided to do this instead. I wonder why that is." Toya looked down at Ryuji, and then smirked, before gently lifting him into the air, and carrying him over his shoulder. However, on his way back, his vision seemed to get... strange. It was as if he was seeing the world red. He stopped for a moment to rub his eyes, but that didn't seem to help. Then, he heard a sound coming from behind him. It sounded like... chains. They were getting progressively closer, and then, a sudden panic took over his mind. He was never scared of a Shadow before, but this... this didn't even feel evil. The atmosphere around him just felt violent, like a genuine murderer was coming his way. It was impossible to understand exactly what, but he didn't want all the details. He started trying to run away, but he could only move so fast while carrying Ryuji.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gunshot, and watched a large bullet fly right by him, nearly grazing his skin. That bullet... that was faster than anything he's ever seen. There was no chance he could fight that, that was... terrifyingly strong. He quickly took off his mask, summoning Diabolos and turning his head while running. The Shadow he saw was a massive figure in a red cloak, with a gun that was almost as big as a human. Toya did his best to push aside his fear, and tried using Diabolos to attack. However, it did almost nothing to this monster. It was unlike anything Toya had ever seen or heard of, it was more than just the run of the mill Shadow, this was a genuine murderer. Despite this threatening aura, however… it didn't seem too bothered to chase after him. While Toya was running away, the monster simply turned away. It was almost as if that thing was a guardian, trying to kill anything that stayed in the area for too long. Toya kept note of that in case he was ever down in Mementos for this long again, but for now, all he wanted to do was get home.

After a few more minutes of running, Toya found himself at the entrance to Mementos. He put Ryuji down, questioning what he should do with him after everything. He couldn't take an unconscious body out into the real world, but he couldn't just leave him here, either. Toya stood there wondering for a moment, until he suddenly heard the sound of a phone going off. His wasn't going off, meaning it had to be Ryuji's. Toya reached into his pockets and took his phone out, checking his messages.

ANN: Ryuji, where were you today?

ANN: You haven't skipped school since Kamoshida…

YUSUKE: I noticed that things were rather quiet today as well.

YUSUKE: Does Ryuji ever disappear like this?

ANN: No. Even when he skips class, he's as talkative as ever.

ANN: This is the most quiet he's ever been…

AKIRA: I'm worried.

ANN: Me too…

Toya suddenly had a grin on his face. The answer was suddenly right in front of him, the answer he had never seen before. Toya reached into his pocket and took out some medicine he was carrying, and then took a picture of the unconscious Ryuji with the medicine on top of him. He then checked Yusuke's contact info, pulling out his own phone and copying it. Opening his messenger, he grinned as he sent Yusuke the picture.

YUSUKE: Ryuji…!?

YUSUKE: Who are you!?

YUSUKE: How did you get this number…? And what did you do with Ryuji!?

?: Yusuke Kitagawa. Your attempt at the murder of Ichiryusai Madarame proves that you have no sense of justice.

?: As such, someone has been punished due to your wrong doings.

YUSUKE: You… the man in the black mask!?

YUSUKE: Who are you!?

?: You can call me… Hazard.

HAZARD: Ryuji is still alive. He's unconscious, and wounded.

HAZARD: However, I will give you one chance to save him.

HAZARD: Do you accept?

YUSUKE: ...What do you want?

HAZARD: Ryuji is at the entrance of Mementos. You must not inform anyone of this, and you must come alone to tend to his wounds.

HAZARD: If anyone else comes, Ryuji will die, and his blood will be on your hands.

HAZARD: There's a bottle of medicine in the picture. This medicine will heal his wounds completely.

HAZARD: You have 10 minutes.

YUSUKE: 10 minutes…!?

HAZARD: Remember, if anyone else learns of this, Ryuji will be the one to suffer.

HAZARD: Better start running.

Toya smirked, before quickly blocking Yusuke's number. Everything was going perfect now. He left Mementos, reappearing in front of the Shibuya station. All he had to do now was wait around without being suspicious. If only Yusuke showed, then he could simply walk away and go home for the day. He waited patiently at the station for a few minutes, until seeing a boy in blue hair run by him with his phone out. He smirked and turned away, satisfied with how things turned out. He even felt stronger.

Yusuke quickly appeared in Mementos and ran over to Ryuji's body. He was breathing, but he was out cold. He shook him a few times, trying his best to wake him up, until he finally began opening his eyes.

"Ugh, my head… huh? Yusuke…?"

"Thank goodness you're safe. I was terrified."

"My head is still fuzzy, I don't know what-" Ryuji winced in pain as he tried to stand. He looked at his leg, looking like it was in even worse shape than before.

"Here, take this first. You're in no position to stand yet." Yusuke picked up the medicine that the masked man left for him and handed it to Ryuji. Ryuji stared at the bottle for a moment, unsure of whether or not he should take it, before taking another look at his leg. Looking at how banged up he was… he felt like he had no choice as he took the medicine.

"Ugh, it's so bitter… whoa!" Ryuji's eyes widened after a few moments. He felt amazing… better than ever before. His leg, the one that was banged up so badly… it suddenly felt normal again. He got up on his feet, stretching and laughing. "No way! My leg… it's okay now!?" Ryuji's voice was filled with both shock and joy. For a second, he forgot about everything else in the world, he even forgot about Yusuke being there as he ran around the room, his leg feeling the same way it did before Kamoshida showed up. It was spectacular… this was the happiest Ryuji had been in years.

"Not to dampen the mood, but… we need to talk about what went on down here." Ryuji turned his head toward Yusuke, leaning against the wall.

"Honestly… I'm not even sure why I came here. I just felt so bad about letting that masked dude get away that I came here to look for him…"

"And you found him?"

"Well yeah, but… it didn't really do me any good. He was running away from me for a while, so I thought I had him scared… but I was wrong."

"I imagine you two fought, then."

"I don't know how much of a fight it really was. Once I caught up with him, I got a few hits on him. I thought I had him cornered at that point, but…"

"But what?"

"He started fighting back, I guess. Once he did, I didn't even stand a chance… but I don't really remember much of the fight. He got some hits im, and then…"

"Then…?"

"He told his Persona to judge me. Everything after that… it's a blur. Next thing I remember is you waking me up." Ryuji sighed, walking towards the entrance. "Where's everyone else?"

"Well… I had to come alone. The masked man contacted me and told me that if I told anyone else of what happened, he'd kill you."

"Great…" Ryuji looked down. He was starting to feel like a burden again, like he was just causing people problems. "What are we gonna tell everyone?"

"I think we have to be honest with them. Now that we're both here, I doubt he'll try anything against us, if he's even still here."

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Ryuji pulled out his phone, opening the Nav app. "Let's get out of here."


	9. Recap

**May 23rd, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shibuya Station**

Finally leaving the Metaverse after spending almost all day there, Ryuji nearly passed out from exhaustion almost instantly. The Metaverse affected people in weird ways… and it was hitting Ryuji especially hard. Even still, he knew he couldn't just go to sleep yet. He had to tell everyone that he's okay, and explain to them just what happened today. He looked at Yusuke for a moment, doubt plastered all over his face, before taking his phone out and opening his messenger.

RYUJI: Sorry…

RYUJI: I messed up pretty bad.

ANN: Ryuji! Where were you!?

RYUJI: I was… in Mementos.

AKIRA: Mementos…?

AKIRA: What were you doing there?

RYUJI: After everything that happened yesterday, I just felt… bad.

RYUJI: I was the one chasing that black masked guy down, and I couldn't even catch him.

RYUJI: Then, when you guys told me what Madarame said about him… I kinda went into a frenzy.

RYUJI: I was so mad. I even started blaming Kamoshida in my head for breaking my leg, but…

RYUJI: I was mostly mad at myself for not being good enough.

ANN: Ryuji...

RYUJI: So I went to Mementos today to try and find him… and I did.

AKIRA: Wait, you found him?

RYUJI: Yeah. I was checking the time on my phone, and he left some time after school ended today.

RYUJI: I found him and tried fighting him, but…

RYUJI: Well, you guys can imagine how that went.

YUSUKE: It was then when the masked man contacted me.

ANN: Wait, he contacted you!?

YUSUKE: I'm not sure how he got my contact info, but he messaged me about 10 minutes ago.

RYUJI: Bastard probably got it from my phone…

YUSUKE: He told me that I had to pick up Ryuji alone, and if I came with anyone else, Ryuji would suffer from it.

YUSUKE: I truly did want to inform you all. My sincerest apologies.

AKIRA: You did the right thing, Yusuke.

AKIRA: And I understand why you did what you did, Ryuji.

AKIRA: Let's talk about this more tomorrow.

AKIRA: Wanna meet at LeBlanc after school?

YUSUKE: LeBlanc…?

AKIRA: It's where I live. It's… kind of a long story.

AKIRA: Just show up at the station in Shibuya, we'll go from there.

ANN: Sounds good. I'll see you all tomorrow then.

Ryuji sighed, putting his phone away and looking back at Yusuke. "Sorry that I made you waste time trying to save me… I really messed up this time."

"It's quite alright. Besides, we learned more about this masked man, and… well, perhaps I too can begin to forgive myself."

"Huh…?"

"Yesterday, the entire reason that masked man showed up is because I had full intention of murdering Madarame. After learning of what he said what happened to my mother… I went into a rage, I suppose. Had I not done that, perhaps none of this would have happened. So, rather than you apologizing… perhaps it should be."

"What? No way, man. Doing that brought us closer to finding out who that psycho is anyways. If anything, I should be thanking you. Even my leg is all healed now!"

"Ryuji…" Yusuke chuckled. This was the first time the two of them had a real conversation with each other since he joined the Phantom Thieves. His opinion of Ryuji was never the best, but… maybe he was wrong to judge him so soon. "I suppose you're right. Come, let's go home." They waved each other off as turning away. Ryuji started running right away, eager to start again. After longing for this feeling for so long… it felt great. He forgot about everything else for a moment and just enjoyed the feeling. The nostalgia helped his faith for the future, and made him think everything would actually be okay. He just had to believe, then maybe things would be okay.

**May 24, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - LeBlanc**

"This is… a lot cleaner than I thought it would be, for an attic." Ann scanned the room around her. It made sense that Akira would want to keep his room clean, but it was still surprising for an attic.

"Sorry that it's not the biggest space. I only really came here with essentials packed, so I couldn't do much for decoration." Akira sighed, looking around the room. While he was slowly getting used to it, he definitely missed his old home.

"It's fine. More importantly, what are we gonna do about that guy in the mask?" Ann asked the group, rather concerned with what the man wanted.

"Let's start with what we know first." Morgana hopped onto the table, taking initiative. "Ryuji, you're the one who met him. Do you have anything?"

"Not that much. His mask covers up most of his face, so I really couldn't get much. He always held it really close to his face when he summoned his Persona." Ryuji shivered for a moment. That Persona…

"Ryuji?" Yusuke shook him gently, trying to snap him out of it.

"Wha- oh, uh…" Ryuji looked down for a moment, remembering everything he had seen. "His Persona… he called it Diabolos. There was something about it, it was… terrifying. It just looked like a pitch black shadow, but with these… silver eyes, and smile. It looked completely demented… it was terrifying." Ryuji closed his eyes, but as soon as he did, he saw him again… Diabolos. For some reason, this Persona… it was haunting him. It felt like he'd see that same twisted smile at every single dark surface.

"What about you then, Yusuke? You're the one who talked to him." Akira's calm, yet serious tone broke the silence and caught everyone attention instantly. For some reason, whenever he spoke, people just felt compelled to listen to anything he said. It was soothing, in a way.

"While it's true that I did talk to him, he didn't seem concerned with having a conversation with me. He just wanted to get his point across, then he blocked my number."

"What did he say?"

"He told me I could call him Hazard. Everything else was him just ordering me to find Ryuji and to do it alone, but I don't know why." They were stumped. Despite everything Ryuji went through, they had no real information on him. Until suddenly, something triggered in Akira's memory, something he realized was more important than he took it for.

"Ryuji… you said that Hazard showed up after school ended, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, not even that long after… maybe five or ten minutes. Why?"

"I see… I struggle to believe it's a coincidence that they'd show up so soon after class was dismissed." Everyone looked at Akira in shock. Was this the answer they were all missing? "Ryuji, did you at least get the color of his eyes?"

"His eyes? Uh, yeah. They were… purple. Why?"

"Purple eyes… okay. Tomorrow, we should try to look through the yearbook and see if we can find anyone who has purple eyes. If we can… then we might have found our target." The Phantom Thieves nodded in agreement, before everyone left. They didn't know exactly who Hazard was yet, but they had an idea. That's more than they've ever had before in regard to him, so this was definitely an improvement. Akira walked them all home, trying to have a normal conversation with his friends for once. It reminded him of a time that was much simpler, where he could just be with friends and not worry about anything. It was a nice memory, but… truthfully, it was but a fleeting dream to him now. Either way, it was pointless to think about now. He made his back to LeBlanc, only to see two distinct figures. One was a woman, the other was a man.

"Hey, before you head upstairs- do you mind swapping the sign to closed for me? This might take while." Akira nodded, walking back outside to flip the sign for Sojiro. "Thanks. Head upstairs now, alright? I don't want you to worry about this." Akira looked at Sojiro for a moment, confused as to what was going on, but he decided it would be best to listen to Sojiro here. He went upstairs, leaving him to his business.

"I'm imagining that's the boy who's in your care for the next year, is it not?"

"Yeah, that's him. His name is Akira. He's pretty quiet overall, but I don't think he's a horrible kid by any means." The woman looked into Sojiro's eyes for a moment, before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Regardless, he's not the one we're here to ask you about. You know what we're getting at, don't you?"

"I told you already, Futaba is perfectly fine."

"You can call her 'fine' when she's clearly not?"

"What would _you_ know about her? All people like you have done is cause her grief than she's already going through."

"I know what I'm talking about- and so do you. I'll find your secrets… I know I will."

"You don't care about my secrets. You just want blackmail so you can get Wakaba's research. I'm not letting you have it, regardless of what you threaten me with or accuse me of, and that's final." Sojiro stared into the woman's eyes, a fierce look to be displayed on both of their faces. The woman was clearly annoyed, but did her best not to let it get to her. She took a big gulp of her coffee, finishing it and putting money on the counter.

"We're leaving. Let's go." She spoke to the man she was there with in a serious tone, before beginning to walk out.

"Go on, I'll just be another minute." She turned back and nodded, before walking out, waiting outside for him. The man sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm sorry about Sae. There's really not much I can do to stop her, otherwise I would."

"It's fine, really. I've dealt with her before, I know what she's like…"

"I figured as much. But even still, it doesn't make it okay for her to say all of that." The man sighed, finishing his drink and putting a card on the counter, as well as money- noteiceable more than what Sae had paid. Sojiro picked the card up, studying it for a moment.

"What's this?"

"It's my business card. I work as a detective, which is the main reason Sae asked me to come along with her today. Still, it felt… wrong. You don't talk like you're guilty of anything horrible, and I don't have a real reason to suspect you of anything." The man sighed, getting up and beginning to walk away, before stopping and looking back to Sojiro.

"I forgot to ask, but judging by that uniform… that boy who you took in is a second year at Shujin, is he not?"

"Him? Yeah, why?"

"I see… I'm only asking because I have a brother who's also a second year at Shujin. He just recently moved in, and I don't think he's made it a point to befriend new people. I'm getting somewhat worried about him, to be honest…"

"Are you his guardian now?"

"Yeah. Our father passed recently and we don't have any other family who could take him, so he's staying at my place in Shibuya now. It's not really the best life for him since I'm never home due to work, but…" He sighed, looking toward the glass door to see Sae still waiting out, tapping her foot to signify her impatience. "Well, I just hope he'll be alright. I wish he'd make some friends, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't feel up to it right now."

"If you want my personal opinion, I'd say just give it time. Futaba was a lot worse when I first took her in than she is now. Sure, she's still not back to how she was before the incident with Wakaba… but she's not beating herself up as much as she used to. You just have to be patient with it."

"I suppose you're right. However, I'm sure that Sae doesn't have the patience that the two of us need, so I'll have to take my leave now." The man finally got up out of his seat, making his way to the door. "This place is actually really nice… and the coffee is great, too. Maybe I'll come around here more often. Either way… goodnight."

"See you around." The man left the cafe, leaving Sojiro alone again, finally. He sighed, mentally exhausted from the exchange. He started closing up shop, getting ready to head home. Before he did, he took a look at the business card that the man left him, and put it in his pocket. "Ken Kazero, huh…"


	10. Partnership

**June 5th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya**

It had been two full weeks since the Phantom Thieves took down Madarame, and since Toya stopped Yusuke from murdering Madarame. In the real world, things have been relatively quiet since then. It seemed like the Phantom Thieves were simply waiting to see how everything would turn out now that Madarame's heart was taken. However, even though they had taken his heart, their minds were not sole focused on the aftermath. Rather, they were all thinking about another person: someone who goes by the name Hazard. Whoever was under the mask was still a complete mystery to them, but what they did know was that whoever it was, they were a threat. The fact that they were completely anonymous. The closest thing they had to a clue was the fact that Hazard had purple eyes, but that wasn't much for them to go off of. They even tried checking the school yearbooks, but they couldn't find a single student who had purple eyes. After two weeks of looking through the yearbook for any potential suspect, they gave up. They couldn't find anyone, no matter how hard they looked. So instead, they just took the time to breathe, waiting around for Madarame's change of heart.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, Toya was laying low. He fully accepted that the Phantom Thieves saw him as a villain now, and thought he was a psychopath. Toya didn't think they'd ever understand his justice, but he didn't care. He didn't want publicity, nor to be understood. He just wanted what he thought was right, and at the end of the day, that was justice. Not all was bad with Toya, though. Due to him not entering the Metaverse after his fight with Ryuji, he got to pick up an old hobby of his, that being aikido. It was the closest he could get to training now that he was avoiding the Metaverse, and while it doesn't help his Persona get any stronger, it's very useful for his own strength. He needed it to traverse the Metaverse, after all. For all he knew, he'd have to enter Palaces himself some day, so staying in shape is the best bet. He left his house to get some fresh air before getting to training, but on his way out, he noticed a large amount of people all gathered outside. Looking above them all, he saw a screen with Madarame on it, behind a desk with a microphone. He quickly ran into the crowd, wanting to hear what exactly was happening.

"I… I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist. Plainly put… I, um… plagiarized work… I-I… tainted this… this country's art world… and… even 'Sayuri'...! H-How could I… I possibly… apologize to- to everyone for… for what I've done…!?" Toya was genuinely taken aback by this. He had already seen Kamoshida's confession, but this… this reaction was far more extreme than that one. Madarame was genuinely crying his eyes out, in front of everyone. Toya understood that it was necessary, and that for all intents and purposes, Madarame was a murderer, but even still… it truly did hurt him to see. On the outside, Madarame looked like an innocent old man, who just wanted to make the world happy with his art. While it's true that on the inside, he was a despicable, selfish man… nobody else saw that. Only he did, and the Phantom Thieves.

"Phantom Thieves again…" Toya's eyes panned over to a girl who couldn't have been more than a year older than him. He stared at her for a moment, before turning away and holding his head. For some reason… he felt like he recognized her. Something about her triggered something in his memory, but as for what it was… he couldn't remember. It bothered him a bit, but not enough to distract him from what he wanted to do, which was more training. He had nothing else to do anyways, so he felt like he could get a lot stronger this way. However, as he was heading back home, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He took out his phone and checked his messages quickly.

KEN: Did you see the news?

TOYA: You mean about Madarame?

KEN: Yeah. Apparently, it was more work by the Phantom Thieves…

KEN: I think it'd be hard to write them off as nothing more than a prank by teenagers anymore.

KEN: I'm gonna be home tomorrow. I have to get some more information about that group wherever I can, and it seems like staying in Shibuya will make things easier.

TOYA: That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow then.

KEN: Yeah. See you. Oh, and if you hear anything new about the Phantom Thieves, be sure to tell me, alright?

TOYA: Got it.

Toya sighed as he put his phone in his pocket. So, his brother, an ace detective, was on the Phantom Thieves case… that worried him. If anyone could crack the case, it'd definitely be him. As for how Toya felt about them himself… he was in a bit of a gray zone. The only real experience he had with them was his fight with Ryuji, and that went… less than favorable for everyone involved. For all he knew, the rest of them could be as ignorant as him, and that would make them… bad. That ignorance can get in the way of true justice, which would make them much more chaotic than they already were. It didn't help their case that they were essentially vigilantes, either. While it's true that a lot of vigilantes do things for what they think is justice, it's also true that a lot of them just do things because… nothing can stop them. Was that the truth behind the Phantom Thieves? Were they only doing this because nobody could stop them from doing it? Toya wasn't entirely sure what the answer to that question was, but what he did know for sure, was that he needed to learn more about the Phantom Thieves, somehow. Doing that would prove rather difficult though, since he was alone, and had to deal with 5 different people, one of which being an exceptionally sneaky cat. If he was going to do this, he'd have to be even more careful than he already was. However, for some reason… he felt incredibly determined to do this. He didn't know why, but there was something burning inside of his soul, something telling him that he had to do this. That burning sensation is what was driving him so far in the first place, so he might as well continue to listen to it. After all, this feeling had already given him a new purpose in life, so what's truly the worst that could happen? He felt confident in this answer, as he began got home and continued his training. His muscle memory helped this training go by much more smoothly. Whatever happened next, he knew he'd be much better prepared for it.

**June 6th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shibuya**

Another boring day at school meant another day of training for Toya. He quickly made his way home, punching and kicking away at a sandbag he purchased when he started training again. He could tell that he was getting stronger and stronger by the day, he just needed to keep at it.

"Is that… Aikido?" Toya's heart nearly skipped a beat. He was so focused on training that he didn't even hear someone coming in.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Toya turned away and backed up into the sandbag. He completely forgot that Ken was coming over today.

"Sorry to have startled you. I came back early since there were no real leads on anything."

"Where have you been checking?"

"Everywhere that was recommended, except for one. That being Shujin, but it's too late in the day for me to investigate there, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. So until then, I suppose I have time to kill."

"You, having time to kill? That's a first. Any plans?"

"I was thinking of continuing an investigation that's been going on that's affecting this entire city… in fact, you might be able to help with that."

"I can help you with an investigation? Does it involve Shujin, then?"

"That hasn't exactly been confirmed yet, but it's likely. To keep it short, there's a big problem going on in Shibuya as a whole. It seems as if the mafia has begun blackmailing teenagers around your age into doing their dirty work."

"Wait, the mafia is going after students…? Why them?"

"Apparently they're easy targets. The point is… I want you to try and look around the school, and see if you can dig anything up about someone named Junya Kaneshiro."

"You have his name? Is that enough to take him down?"

"Not quite. We don't have any concrete evidence against him, so we'd fail in court. If we had a confession, then we'd be completely fine… Even if that confession is from someone admitting that Kaneshiro blackmailed them. Do you think you could do that for me?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll try to ask around over the next two days. Though, I do have a trip that will last the entirety of the 9th and 10th, so I probably won't be able to do anything those days."

"That's perfectly fine. Anyways, I'm gonna head out. I found a nice coffee place not too long ago, and I could use the chance to relax. You wanna come with?"

"Nah, I've never really been a big coffee person. Besides, I'm itching to keep at this training. I'll see you later tonight, then?

"Yeah, see you." Ken began walking away. However, before he left, he waited outside the door and listened closely to Toya as he let loose on the sandbag. He was happy that his brother was exercising, but this was… different. He was going at things much harder than a normal student would, even harder than some people who would be taking actual classes for it. He was aware that Toya enjoyed Aikido when he was younger, but not to this extent… there was something going on with him. There had to be something going on. Ken began to walk out, but there was one thought that raced through his head as he was leaving.

"_Could he be… no, that's impossible…_"

**June 7th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

As Toya was leaving school, he noticed something that was on the bulletin board in the hallway. He slowly made his way over, reading out the sheet of paper.

"A request to the student body: If you have any information about events that are transpiring around the school, please consult the student council president: Makoto Niijima."Toya sighed, holding his head again. That name… he recognized it from _somewhere._ He couldn't remember exactly where he remembered it from, but he knew he recognized it somewhere. He stood there for a moment, before he decided to go upstairs. When he got up there, he saw the girl he recognized from the day before walking in, meaning she was probably Niijima. However, even still… there was something he was forgetting, he knew it. He waited outside by the door, listening on on the conversation that was going on.

"President… What is the meaning of that posting?"

"Principal Kobayakawa put that up without my-"

"We've already received some anonymous information. 'I heard some students are getting threatened. I'm so scared… Please do something'"

"What…!?" Toya's interest was piqued. This sounded similar to what Ken was talking about- a little _too_ similar.

"'They have dirt on me, and they're demanding money. I can't go to the police… What should I do…?' Isn't this talking about the crimes that have been rumored to be occurring in Shibuya…?" Whoever was there was thinking the same thing as he was. Maybe he could get some information for Ken if he kept listening in on this.

"So there are even victims at our school… What should we do…?"

"This isn't the responsibility of the student council. This is frightening for us too… Principal Kobayakawa called you in yesterday, right? Did he tell you anything about this?"

"Well, no… He's out today, but I will ask him tomorrow. Please wait on this for the time being…"

"If you say so…"

"...My apologies for the confusion. Don't worry, I'll do something about all of this…" Toya heard the sound of two people getting up out of chairs. He backed away slightly, taking his phone out and opening his messenger, trying to blend in with the crowd until the two passed. He looked up to see two people leaving the room, but Makoto wasn't one of them. He considered his options, before he slowly walked into the room himself. He saw Makoto looking down, sitting on the table as if she had no idea what she could possibly do. He could sympathize with her, this couldn't be easy for someone anyone- especially not a high school student.

"You're… the school council president, right?" Makoto shook for a moment, looking up in shock. She heard that voice… somewhere. But _where_?

"U-Um, yes. Is there something you need? Information about what's been going on around the school, perhaps?"

"Sorry if it disappoints you, but I don't know how much I can tell you from what I know."

"Why's that?"

"I don't think my brother would be okay with that. He wanted my help looking into a case he's working on, about teenagers around our age being targeted. I was walking by and overheard your conversation, and I was wondering if you knew anything else."

"I'm sorry, but- what exactly does your brother do…?"

"Oh, my apologies. My brother is a well-known detective, Ken Kazero. I'm his younger brother, Toya. Anyways- just from what I heard, I think the case he's working on plays into what those students were talking about. Do you think you could help me and my brother out?" Makoto said nothing in response. She simply stared for a moment. Toya Kazero… that name, and those eyes… she recognized him. She knew she did.

"I'm sorry to change the subject so suddenly, but… have we met?" The question surprised Toya. They were both getting the same feeling from each other, but… why? Did they actually know each other?

"Admittedly, I feel like I recognize you as well. But I can't exactly remember where I remember you from." The two stared at each other for a while, trying to recall. However, no matter their efforts, they simply couldn't. They broke their gaze at each other, trying not to make things feel even more awkward than they already did.

"So… you wanted my help with your brother's case?"

"Yeah. If it's targeting the students at our school, then I think it's necessary. I already have the name of a suspect from my brother, but we need a confession from either him, or someone who's worked for him that has proof. The problem is that there's no way he'll just admit to things, and I don't know anyone who could give proof… but maybe a student can?"

"I suppose that could work." Makoto held out her hand out and looking to Toya. "You have a deal." Toya shook her hand, as the two nodded at each other.

Together, the two of them could fix this mess, and save all of the students who have been targeted.


	11. Revelations

**June 9th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Afternoon - TV Station**

Today was the first day of the school trip… and Toya could not possibly be any more bored. He spent the entire morning being forced to listen to a PR woman go on and on about how TV stations operate, and he couldn't even pretend to be interested. Rather, he had one thought on his mind the entire day… that being Kaneshiro. He couldn't do much about it yet since the school trip was coming and he didn't want to separate his investigation at all, but he was also getting impatient. He wanted to learn more about Kaneshiro's crimes, and what made him so… untouchable. Ken knew his name and worked with the police- but Kaneshiro still hasn't been taken in. That must mean that Kaneshiro was incredibly powerful- even more powerful than some run of the mill boss. He stood still for a bit, pondering what could have lead to Kaneshiro becoming so powerful… and then suddenly, he felt something tick in his head. Something he had never even considered before had come to his mind, something that could change his entire investigation. He looked around, making sure nobody was near him, before pulling out his phone and opening the Metaverse Navigator. He checked one more time if there were people near him, before typing "Junya Kaneshiro" into the app.

"Match found." Toya's eyes widened. He figured that Kaneshiro was corrupt, being a mob boss and all- but having his own Palace? That's more than just corrupt… there's something seriously wrong with him. There's more going on behind the scenes, things he doesn't know about yet. Whatever they were, though… maybe he could find out more about them in the Palace? He'd think about that after the trip. For now, he had to just act normal, and preferably avoid the Phantom Thieves if he could. He was sure they didn't know who he was, but he didn't want to take the risk. He started walking forward as putting his phone away, but managed to bump right into someone. He put his phone away and looked up.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying any attention…"

"No, it's quite alright-" The two raised their heads, staring at each other for a brief moment. "Well, this is quite the pleasant surprise!"

"Akechi? I didn't expect to see you here… What's up?"

"I was asked to come do an interview here. It's happening tomorrow, but I thought it'd be better for me to get a scope of the area a day in advance. What about you?"

"Oh, it's just some school trip. I'm not sure why they're having us learn how TV stations work, to be perfectly honest. It's kind of boring…"

"I imagine it's a bit dull. Especially for someone who plans on joining the police force, I imagine you have too much natural energy for this to be a good use of your time."

"Unfortunately, that's true. Anyways, we're thankfully done with activities for the day, so I'm free for the rest of the day. What about you, have you finished up getting a general feel for the area?"

"Just about. There's only a few places I haven't been, as far as I can tell. Care to join me?"

"Sure, let's get going." The two began to walk together. This was a good chance to deepen his bond with Akechi, as well as kill some time until he could go back home and investigate Kaneshiro, and perhaps even enter his Palace. But for now, he tried not to think about it. Instead, he'd try to make the most out of the trip, even though it seemed like the only thing that was worth his time so far was running into Akechi. The two of them exchanged words for a while, seeing more of the area. It was honestly much bigger than Toya had imagined it would be, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It made things a bit more interesting, but it was still rather boring. Toya's boredom was suddenly shifted to concern, as he heard some familiar voices nearby.

"That reminds me, we get to go home straight from here today. We don't spend much time in this area, so why don't we relax and check out some shops beforehand?"

"Ooh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here! It looked delicious! What was that?"

"Ohhh… You mean Dome Town?" Toya recognized those voices anywhere. The first voice he heard was Ann Takamaki, and the second one was the talking cat whose name he wasn't sure of yet.

"Did you hear that, Toya!? A pancake place in Dome Town!" Toya's heart skipped a beat. There was only one voice that brought up pancakes… and that was the talking cat. But… nobody else could hear the cat. He learned from eavesdropping that you had to be in the Metaverse to hear the cat talk, so it's not like just _anyone_ can hear that voice. That's when Toya came to a shocking conclusion… Akechi had been to the Metaverse!? That didn't make any sense though… you can't just decide to _go_ there, unless you have the app on your phone. That is, unless he was randomly given the app one day, like how he was.

"You really love pancakes, don't you? Well, I still have time to kill. You wanna go to Dome Town and get some?"

"That would be great! Let's go now, I think we've seen enough of this place already anyways." Toya couldn't understand how one person could love pancakes so much… but, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that Akechi could hear the cat talk, which had to mean that he's been to the Metaverse… but if that's the case, then _when _did he go there? He had so many questions… but they had to wait. For now, he had to just play it cool. He could look further into Akechi's relation to the Metaverse at another time.

**June 9th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

Toya got home, and even though he was physically tired, his mind was racing. Akechi had somehow made it to the Metaverse… but how? Toya sighed, putting his bag down next to his bed and laying down. Today had proved to be a very interesting day for him after all, despite how boring it started. Before he went to bed, he remembered something he bought while he was at Dome Town. he reached into his bag, and pulled out a purple bandana. He wasn't entirely sure why he bought it, but he liked the color of it a lot. Not to mention, he could probably wear it in the Metaverse to help him conceal his identity even more if need be. He put the bandana back in his bag, in the same pocket as his father's grappling hook, before turning the lights off and putting his head to the pillow. He'd have to go back to that TV station tomorrow, so he had to get as much sleep as he could now, since if he didn't, there'd be a good chance he'd just fall asleep at some point during his time there.

**June 10th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Afternoon - TV Station**

It was another boring day at the TV station for Toya. Unfortunately for him, Akechi was much more busy today, so he couldn't just spend his off time talking to him. Not all was bad, though. He wouldn't be able to spend actual time with him, but his class was going to watch his interview live at the station, so it hopefully wouldn't be _too_ boring for him.

"And now, onto the "Hottest Meet-and-Greet segment of our show… After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It's the high school detective, as well as the one and only protégé of the ace detective Ken Kazero, Goro Akechi!"

"Hello there."

"Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi. Your popularity is stunning.

"Even I've found it to be quite a surprise. Though, I suppose I have Ken to thank for that."

"Moving along, we've been told there's a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?"

"Ah, yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame."

"There it is! All of this Phantom Thief excitement has caught your attention too, Akechi! I wonder, has it also caught Ken's?"

"Very much so. Though, I sometimes wonder if it's only caught his eye due to him wanting to protect his younger brother…" Toya tilted his head at the interaction. Did Ken truly only ever care about the Phantom Thieves his his sake…? It was almost embarrassing.

"How heartwarming! But, allow me to be blunt for just a second. What do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?

"If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist."

"Ohhh, so you don't deny the possibility that they're real?

"I may not seem like it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering. But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real… I believe they should be tried in a court of law." Toya saw that coming. Akechi had a strong sense of justice, after all. It would only make sense for him to be against the Phantom Thieves when they were essentially vigilantes.

"That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping victims abandon their evil ways."

"What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they're taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person's heart."

"You have a point. These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, after all. Amazing as always, Akechi! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!"

"I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't exist. If that were the case, I'd summarize it into a report as a school project."

"Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi about the Phantom Thieves! First, please press your button now if you think the Phantom Thieves exist!" Toya considered what he should actually do here. Of course, he _knew_ they were real. But he'd have to potentially answer about them. However, the chances are that he'll have to answer anyways, being the brother of someone as well known as Ken. He contemplated for a moment longer, before pressing the button.

"About 35% or so? What are your thoughts, Akechi?"

"I'm a bit surprised. That's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves' actions. The announcer got out of her seat and went into the crowd, picking one student at random. And to Toya's luck, she walked directly towards him. Of _course_ she did.

"All right, let's try asking this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?"

"Well, to start things off, I do believe that they are real. As for my own thoughts… I have a mixture of hope and concern for them."

"Both hope _and_ concern, hm?" Akechi looked straight towards Toya, the two making eye contact. "I'm quite interested. What do you mean by this?"

"Being a student at Shujin, I'd heard a lot of things about Kamoshida. Some of the things that I heard implied that there were faculty and staff that knew of the crimes he was committing, but he was simply just getting away with it. Had it not been for the Phantom Thieves, I believe that Kamoshida's crimes would continue to go on, even today. That's why I have hope for them, and it's why I do believe in them."

"I see. Well, attending Shujin, I suppose it's only right that your opinion has personal belief behind it. I am quite curious, however. You said you also have concern for them?"

"Of course. I feel as if it's impossible to not have doubts and concerns about them, for a lot of reasons. They're practically vigilantes, working outside of the law and only going by something anonymous like 'Phantom Thieves'. Furthermore, their methods are entirely unknown. I have no idea how they'd simply change someone's heart. However… I don't think we should think of them as criminals because they're in the shadows."

"My oh my… this completely goes against your own opinion, Akechi!"

"Indeed it does. It is rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgment. However, if that's the case, then there's one more question I'd like to ask… if someone close to you- for example, you brother… if his heart suddenly changed… would you blame the Phantom Thieves?" Toya was taken aback by this. Ken, being targeted by the Phantom Thieves…? How _would_ he react to this?

"I've never really thought about this before. I don't think they would target someone like my brother, but if they were to… well, I suppose I'd have to at least hear it out first. If he truly did some unforgivable crime, as Kamoshida and Madarame did… then, I'd have a hard time doubting them."

"Is that so? Even though it's your brother?"

"I care very deeply for my brother, and I owe a great debt to him. However, if he truly did something despicable and illegal, then I'd definitely be concerned. Furthermore, if someone like him whose famous across Japan was able to do illegal acts while working with the police, I'd have to believe in the Phantom Thieves even more for uncovering his acts when nobody else could."

"You really don't let your bias for your family members sway your opinion. It's admirable, in a way."

"Well, I think my brother would have the same answer, given his line of work. I'm sure we both got it from our father." Toya began to think more about what he just said as Akechi's interview went on. Toya was a lot more like his brother and father than he originally thought. This wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing, but he wasn't really ecstatic about it, either. He wanted to be his own person, not just someone who was in his family's shadow. Then again, being a police officer would put him as close to their line of work as he could get without directly being involved. Perhaps that was his family's natural calling… at any rate, the trip was coming to a close. He began to get up from his seat, and then saw Akechi walking straight towards him.

"I must say, I didn't expect you to have so much to say on that subject. That was truly an enlightening experience."

"I've been rather interested in the Phantom Thieves as of recent. I'm starting to think that the desire to investigate a mystery is just a part of my blood, to be perfectly honest."

"Well, I think it fits you quite well. You really do have a knack for this line of work, after all. Maybe you'll be the one who discovers who the Phantom Thieves truly are?"

"I don't know if I'm good enough for that one yet, unfortunately. I think I'll leave that one to someone like Ken."

"I suppose that's fair. Well, I have to be off now, I have quite the long day ahead of me. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon!"

"Yeah, definitely. I'll see you around, Akechi."

**June 10th, 20XX**

**Evening - Shibuya**

It was really late at night, so nobody was around. It was only Toya, his phone, and his investigation. He couldn't sleep- he needed to know the keywords to Kaneshiro's Palace. He already had his name, so now all he needed was the area, and what he thinks of it as. It was easy to figure out that he thought of the areas a bank, given the fact that he was a mob boss, who was probably obsessed with money. The hard part was the location. Toya had absolutely no idea where Kaneshiro could be residing. The only idea he had was that he was somewhere in Shibuya, but that was the issue. Shibuya was a huge area, and the mafia had influence over all of it from what Toya knew. He sat in thought, until suddenly, a chilling thought struck him. It was a stretch, but there was no shame in trying.

"Shibuya."

"Match found. Beginning navigation." Toya's eyes widened in both shock and horror. Kaneshiro thinks of the entire city… as his own bank? He couldn't even comprehend how that was possible, but he wouldn't get much of a chance to. He stood up and closed his eyes, before feeling the atmosphere around him change.

**June 10th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Evening - Kaneshiro's Palace**

Toya slowly opened his eyes, and he was met with… confusion. All around him were… ATMs with arms and legs. It was disgusting… was this really how he saw the city? Literal ATMs for him to take? He looked at one in particular, until suddenly, money began to come out. However, this money flew up into the air. Toya's eyes followed it, and then he saw it. Up in the sky, there was a massive floating bank. Kaneshiro's Palace… how was he going to get up there…?


	12. Adrenaline Rush

**June 18th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

MAKOTO: It finally happened.

TOYA: What are you talking about?

MAKOTO: I have a picture of someone who can take me straight to Kaneshiro.

MAKOTO: I'm heading to Shibuya now to find them.

MAKOTO: Care to come with?

TOYA: I'm heading there now.

This was the first piece of good news Toya had received in over a week. He's been trying really hard to find a way into Kaneshiro's floating bank, but he's had no success. His hookshot didn't go nearly far enough to get him up there, so he had to try something else. He had one idea left, and that was to exploit the true nature of a Palace. Since it's a world based on cognition, then changing how someone perceives things might be able to do something to the Palace as well. However, that raised the question… _what_ was he supposed to do? Was there really a way he could change Kaneshiro's cognition? There had to be some way, and the only way he could find that out was by trying. Perhaps he could find out today with Makoto's help… though, he wanted to avoid letting her know anything about the Metaverse if at all possible. Making his way to the subway station, Toya began his ride to Shibuya, his hopes high.

**June 18th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Shibuya**

"You're right on time." Looking to his right, he saw Makoto, who was waiting in the station for him.

"You have a plan?"

"Yes, and your job in it is rather easy. Come with me." Toya began following behind Makoto. Admittedly, he had absolutely no idea what was going to happen, and that alone made this risky. However, he could sense genuine concern from Makoto when they met in the student council room that day, which made her seem much more trustworthy. Not to mention, if she was able to think up a plan to take down someone that's immune to even the police, then she's bound to have something up her sleeve. They made their way down to Central Street, as Makoto took her phone out. "All you have to do is stay on the phone and record everything you hear. You can do this, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds easy enough, but are you sure you can do this? We're talking about a literal crime lord here…"

"Don't worry. Just because I've spent so much of my time being an honors student doesn't mean I don't know how to defend myself. I'll be just fine."

"All right… I'm gonna be watching, just in case anything bad happens. Good luck out there." The two nodded, before Makoto went off. She took a few steps away and called Toya. Toya picked up and began to record the call, listening closely to the conversation.

"Do you guys know Kaneshiro?"

"What?"

"I heard I could find someone named Kaneshiro if I came to Central Street."

"What're you getting at?"

"He's blackmailing the students of Shujin Academy, is he not? Tell him if he doesn't want me talking to the police about it, he'd better agree to meet with me."

"...You got a death wish or somethin'?"

"Are you going to take me there, or not?" Makoto's voice was stern, but the man she was talking to… he sounded serious about that death wish. Toya began walking towards where she headed, trying to find where she went. "Hey, what're you-"

"Shut her up and get her into the car!" Things took a turn for the worst. Toya started running, getting to where he saw Makoto go. By the time he got there, he saw Makoto being shoved into a car, her mouth covered and her hands tied behind her back. She looked towards Toya's direction, a look of horror in her eyes. This didn't go how either of them thought, it was infinitely worse. Makoto's confidence was shattered, as the car began to drive off. Toya started running, as fast as he possibly could. With the amount of cars there were at this hour, he'd be able to catch them eventually. Part of him was honestly terrified, but that look in Makoto's eyes… that was worse. That was the most scared he's ever seen someone before. Seeing that gave him some kind of crazy adrenaline rush. He'd save her… he had to.

**June 18th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

Finally catching up to the car, he saw Makoto get carried into some kind of club. Just watching those two carry her into the club like that… it sickened him. Just looking at the club itself made him angry… and that just made him all the more prepared. Reaching into his bag, he grabbed the bandana he bought from Dome Town. He tied it behind his head, covering his entire face from his nose down, and took another look at the club. There was only one guard outside of the club, and he was unarmed. The club itself looked pretty small overall, but if a crime lord was really there, then getting in wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world. Still, he had to make it work. He stepped out of the shadows, walking towards the club entrance.

"Who the hell're you?" The guard tried questioning Toya, but he simply continued walking forward, not doing so much as batting an eye. He continued walking forward, until stopping right in front of him. "Get lost, kid. This isn't the place for someone like you."

"Get out of my way." Toya and the guard stared into each other's eyes for a moment, both of them having a dead serious look in their eyes. The guard reached into his pocket, pulling out a pocket knife and pointing it at Toya.

"Last warning, kid. Get out of here, or I'll stab your eyes out."

"Try it." The guard laughed, waving his knife around. Toya's eyes were still as focused as ever. Just because the guard had a knife didn't mean he was strong- if anything, it showed weakness. All he had to do was simply disarm him.

"Don't mock me, brat!" The guard charged forward, lunging his blade forward in an attempt to stab Toya. Toya planted one foot onto the ground and pivoted to the side, dodging the stab and gripping the guard's arm with one hand. His other hand immediately reached out to his neck, grabbing him by the base of it and slamming him into the wall. The force of the impact was enough for the knife to fall out of his hand, and make him dizzy. The guard stumbled around, trying to regain composure, but Toya wouldn't let him. With one punch to the gut and another to his head, the guard fell to the ground. He was nowhere near dead, but he was unconscious. With the guard being made light work, he reached for the knife the guard dropped, putting it in his pocket and making his way into the club itself. There were a few guards, but it was nothing Toya didn't think he could handle. However, the center of the room is what truly caught his attention. Makoto was on the ground, she wasn't tied up, but there was someone holding her down. She was conscious still, which was good. It looked like they didn't even do anything to her- at least not yet. Whether they would do something or not wasn't certain yet, but that was a risk Toya had no interest in taking. However, there was one more person that caught his eye. There was a man in a suit sitting on a couch, looking towards him and smiling.

"So, someone managed to get in without an invitation. I suppose that means you did something to the guard outside."

"Let her go."

"Oh, the school girl? So that's why you did this, then. All to impress your girlfriend, is that it?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Kaneshiro smirked, then he began to laugh.

"I'll tell you what, kid. You want her back? Sure. I have no real interest in her. However…" Kaneshiro quickly pulled a phone out, taking a picture of Makoto on the ground. "I don't think she'll be able to go many places if the police see a picture of her like this. After all, she's just a high schooler. Surely she'd be in trouble if she was in a club like this, don't you think? Judging by the look of things, you must go to the same school as her. And your eyes are so unique… I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find you either, now would it?"

"What do you want?"

"You two caused me so much trouble… I'll tell you what. Cough up three million yen before the end of the month, and I won't say a word to anyone. What do you think?"

"Go to hell. I'm not giving you a damn thing." Kaneshiro smirked, as he looked towards the guard that was holding Makoto down.

"That man you attacked outside? That was this poor guy's brother. I'm sure he's not happy about you attacking him- and just to impress a girl, no less." Kaneshiro sat up, looking towards the man that was holding Makoto down. "Handle things." The man nodded, as he pushed Makoto onto the couch Kaneshiro was on. Kaneshiro grabbed Makoto's arm, laughing as he watched the man walk forward.

"Your brother was nothing, you know. I was done with him in seconds. Do you really think you can do anything to me?"

"What did you say!?"

"Your brother was pathetic. He was even armed, and he couldn't do anything. Men like him who hide behind weapons… they're weak. If you're so unconfident about your abilities that you resort to a weapon, then you're just proving that. But men like Kaneshiro, men who hide behind others and let people do their dirty work for them… they are truly the weakest of them all. Yet, you take orders from him. So, tell me one thing…" Toya cracked his knuckles, slowly walking towards the man with a dead serious look in his eyes. "Why do you think there's a single reason for me to be afraid of someone as weak as you?" The guard's eyes flashed in a fit of rage. He charged forward, yelling as he charged right towards him. Toya planted his feet and held his hand out, catching the guard's fist and throwing him to the ground. Toya kicked the side of his head and stomped down on his back, keeping him down as he looked towards Kaneshiro, the look of anger still in his eyes.

"Damn brat, barging in here and acting like you own the place…" Kaneshiro gripped Makoto's arm tighter, causing her to wince in pain. Toya reached into his pocket, pulling out the pocket knife he got from outside and threw it forward. The knife landed right into Kaneshiro's arm, causing him to yell out in pain as he let go of Makoto. Toya jumped forward, punching Kaneshiro and grabbing his phone. He put it in his pocket and grabbed Makoto's hand, turning around and running away, making sure Makoto stayed with him the entire way. The guard began getting up as Toya and Makoto ran out. "What the hell are you dawdling around for!? **KILL HIM!" **The guard got up, running outside to try and chase after Toya and Makoto, but he was weakened. He ran out and tripped on his brother's unconscious body, his head hitting the pavement below and knocking him unconscious. More guards ran towards Kaneshiro after hearing him yell so loud. "Find those damn high schoolers, and make sure they don't get out of here alive!" The guards all nodded and ran out, following Toya and Makoto.

After some running, Toya and Makoto finally made it a decent ways away, stopping to catch their breath. Toya took down his bandana looking Makoto in the eyes. "Hey… are you alright? They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?" Makoto shivered. She was terrified, and to top it all off, she just felt… like she screwed everything up.

"I'm so sorry…"

"What? What are you apologizing for?"

"All I did was cause you trouble, and now Kaneshiro's after both of us…" Makoto sighed, turning her head away. "Sis was right… I really _am_ useless."

"I'd say quite the opposite, actually."

"What…?"

"How could you think of yourself as useless? Had you not shown up, I don't think we could have ever found Kaneshiro. Besides… I have an idea for how we can take him down." Makoto's eyes opened in shock, as she looked towards Toya.

"You… you think you can take him down?"

"He'll never see it coming. By the end of the week, Kaneshiro will-"

"Hey, it's them!" Toya and Makoto looked around. To their right and left, Kaneshiro's men were approaching them. Makoto panicked, realizing she was surrounded, but Toya stayed calm. There was one way out, and as much as he didn't like it, it was the best way possible.

"Listen…" Toya whispered, reaching down and grabbing Makoto's hand as he pulled out his phone. "Whatever you do… don't let go for even a second, got it?" Makoto looked over in confusion, as Toya looked down to his phone. He quickly began opening the Metaverse Navigator app, and looked around. They were right next to an alley… perfect. He gripped Makoto's hand tighter, running into the alley and turning a corner. The second he turned the corner, he tapped a button on his phone, making sure Makoto was still holding on.

**June 18th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Kaneshiro's Palace**

The atmosphere around them changed, as did the scenery, and Toya's clothing. Toya looked around… no guards to be seen anywhere, only him and Makoto. His plan worked… they were free. However, now he had an entirely different situation on his hands.

"What in the world…!? Where are we!?"

"Calm down. We're safe here. Those guards can't get in here, only us. Makoto looked toward the masked man in front of her, the one that was gripping her hand.

"Toya…?"

"Sorry for dragging you into here so suddenly, but there were no other options. Don't worry, I'll explain everything." Toya began to explain where they were. He told her it was a cognitive world, created by Kaneshiro's distorted desires.

"A cognitive world… created by distorted desires?" Makoto thought about what Toya said, and then suddenly gasped in realization. "Distorted desires!? Does that mean you're-"

"A Phantom Thief? No, I'm not. However… this _is_ the world in which they operate. It's also how they were able to change the hearts of Kamoshida and Madarame."

"So they operate in a world like this… it's no wonder they haven't been caught by the police."

"I doubt the police will ever find out a world like this exists, unless they had someone on the inside bring them in."

"I have one more question… when you said you have a plan to deal with Kaneshiro, did you mean…"

"Yes. I am going to take his distorted desires away and change his heart." Makoto looked away for a moment, before looking back at Toya.

"Please let me join you."

"Are you crazy? This world is incredibly dangerous…"

"I'm the reason we're in this mess… it's my responsibility to help get us out of it too." Toya sighed, closing his eyes and sighing, before looking back at Makoto.

"Okay. You can help me take down Kaneshiro. But… not today. I'm exhausted after all of that fighting and running." Toya took out his phone, opening the Metaverse Navigator, before suddenly stopping and reaching into his pocket, grabbing Kaneshiro's phone and smashing it. "There. Now there's no way he'll be able to recover that picture." Toya stretched, pressing a button on his phone and closing his eyes.

**June 18th, 20XX**

**Evening - Shibuya**

The two got back to the real world, and there wasn't a guard in sight. Things were finally over… at least, for today.

"Hey, Toya…?"

"Hm? Something wrong?"

"No, it's just… I don't think I want to roam the streets alone tonight. Do you mind taking me home…?" Toya chuckled, stretching for a moment before answering.

"Lead the way."


	13. Full Throttle

**June 19th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya**

MAKOTO: Do you have a plan for today?

MAKOTO: I'm still pretty confused on how a lot of this works…

TOYA: That's worrisome, because there's still something incredibly confusing that I haven't gotten to yet. I'll explain that later today.

TOYA: As for a plan… I'm still not 100% sure. I haven't gone through a Palace myself, I've only ever gone in once the Phantom Thieves have sent their calling card.

TOYA: There's something that's much more concerning than actually getting through a Palace, but I'll explain that once we're there.

TOYA: That being said, do you wanna try entering any time soon?

MAKOTO: Yes. Can we meet?

TOYA: Come by the Shibuya station. I'll be waiting there.

**June 19th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Kaneshiro's Palace**

The pair of Toya and Makoto came back to the Metaverse, greeted by the distorted atmosphere and reality of Shibuya, as seen through the eyes of Kaneshiro.

"There's still just one thing I really don't get… what's with your clothes?"

"That plays into what I wanted to explain to you. While I'm in the Metaverse, my clothes naturally change into this if there are Shadows that know I'm here."

"Shadows…?"

"Monsters. They're the main reason why I was reluctant to bring you along with me. I can handle myself, but trying to defend you at the same time will prove to be much more difficult…"

"I see… don't worry; I can defend myself. I've trained in aikido." Toya's eyes widened for a moment. This person, who seemed so familiar to him… knew Aikido?

"That's better than nothing, but you'll realize that martial arts alone aren't enough. Anything I did to Kaneshiro's men yesterday would prove somewhat ineffective here, as Shadows are much stronger than regular humans such as them."

"If you can't fight like that, then… how do you defeat them? Are you forced to just run away?"

"We can't run away forever. Most of the time, we'll be forced to fight the Shadows, whether that be through a head-on assault or with the use of stealth. And for that, I have my Persona."

"Your… Persona? What does that mean?" Toya took a step back, and quickly took off his mask. As he did, Makoto looked in horror as blue flames appeared around Toya's feet, as did a formless shadow with silver eyes behind him. "What… is that!?"

"This is my Persona, Diabolos. I awakened to this power a few months ago as I was watching the Phantom Thieves. Had I not awakened to it, they would have died trying to change the heart of Kamoshida."

"Are you saying… you control that thing?"

"Yes. Thanks to this, I'm capable of taking down Shadows. You, however… unless you awaken to a Persona of your own, you're gonna struggle to really deal with these things. So no matter what happens, if we see Shadows, make sure you stay behind me, got it?" Makoto nodded in response, as Toya looked towards the bank in the sky. There still wasn't a way for him to get there. "The only issue now is getting into his bank…"

"This world… it's based on Kaneshiro's cognition, correct?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Kaneshiro said we owe him three million yen. If his cognition thinks that we owe him money, then…" Makoto slowly walked forward. Toya followed her, as suddenly, a bridge emerged. Coming from the floating bank and angled downwards, the bridge extended out until hitting the ground, just in front of them. "I knew it."

"Impressive. Come on, we need to get going. I can't imagine that going through this entire Palace will be done in a short amount of time, so we might as well start chipping away at it now." Makoto nodded in response as the two head up the bridge. Once they reached the top, they finally saw it: Kaneshiro's bank. It was monstrous… infinitely bigger than either of them expected. But even still, Toya's expression remained unchanged. There was definitely a part of him that was nervous, but he had to do this. He wanted to help his brother… and Makoto. For once, he wasn't entering a Palace for his own interest- it was for others. He began walking towards the entrance with Makoto following by his side. She was more nervous than she let on, and was still a bit shaken by seeing Toya's Persona. However, she was doing this for the students. She was the student council president, and this was all happening under her nose. Not to mention, she didn't do anything to expose Kamoshida's crimes, even though she knew they were happening. Whenever she thought of these moments, she just thought she was useless, and she hated that. She knew she wasn't useless, she just had to prove that to everyone else… and that started like this. She could do this… she _had _to. The two of them entered the Palace, their resolve burning within them as two Shadows approached.

"Halt. What business do you have here?"

"Come at us!" Toya's eyes widened in shock as Makoto suddenly tried provoking the Shadows. She was out of her mind if she thought she could handle these two with Aikido alone… but she seemed confident enough. Toya's only concern was how much of that was false confidence. Either way, he had to step in.

"Either you're gonna take us to Kaneshiro…" Toya stepped in front of Makoto, holding one hand his mask, ready to rip it off if he needed to. "...Or you're going to die. Take your pick."

"Tch, damn kids… Learn your place in this world!" The shadows roared, as they began to transform. What previously looked like security guards suddenly morphed into large creatures with red skin and horns, both holding a massive blade in one hand.

"What are those…!?" Makoto reeled back in shock, now realizing what Toya meant when he said that Aikido wouldn't be enough. She was confident in her abilities, but… against those creatures? She didn't think she'd stand a chance.

"Stay back!" Toya quickly took his mask off, his Persona quickly coming out behind him. "Take them down, Diabolos!" Diabolos's arms quickly came together, forming dark magic and firing at the two demons. They were both in pain, but it wasn't enough to finish them off just yet. The demons then charged in, trying to crush Toya with their massive blades. However, they were slow. Toya was able to easily dodge out of the way of them. He jumped into the air, cutting through one of the demons, finishing it off and causing it to vanish. He took a deep breath, this was the first time he fought Shadows in a while, so he wasn't as used to it anymore. Though, the feeling he got from defeating a Shadow, from watching it disappear… it was still just as satisfying as it was to him the very first time.

"Get the hell away from me!" Toya's satisfaction quickly diminished as he heard a scream. He turned around to see the second demon closing in on Makoto, his blade already raised in the air. On instinct, he raised his gunblade in front of him, aiming at the demon's head and firing. It was a direct hit, but it didn't do much besides stop his attack for a brief moment. The demon slowly turned around, only to see Toya already in his face, stabbing the demon and bringing it to the ground. Makoto looked at Toya with some fright, but more confusion than anything else.

"Wait- is that sword… a gun? How does that even work!?" Toya scanned the room. There were more Shadows in the room, and he heard footsteps of even more that were on their way.

"My oh my… why is it that we always have to meet after you assault my guards?" Toya and Makoto recognized that voice too well, even though it sounded… demented. "Unauthorized entry, property damage, and other disturbances. That comes to three million yen in total. You're here regarding that, correct, Miss Beautiful President?" From out of the shadows surrounded by even more guards came the one they were looking for: Kaneshiro himself- only different. With purple skin and moustache, he looked even… uglier than he did before, in a creepy way. "It must be quite tough gathering so much money. I'd be willing to give you a loan, you know. However, the interest rate is ten percent a day."

"Three hundred thousand yen a day… you greedy prick." Toya began walking forward, anger visible in his eyes, focused solely on Kaneshiro.

"There's no need to be alarmed. I have a more manageable option for people like you."

"That was your plan from the beginning, wasn't it?"

"Quite the impressive insight… Niijima. Or should I say, the younger sister of the beautiful prosecutor Sae Niijima?" Toya took a few steps back after hearing that name. Sae Niijima… that sounded familiar too. Where did he know this from? Try as he might, he simply couldn't remember.

"How do you know that…!?"

"Please don't underestimate our intelligence network. My, what wonderful goods have come falling into my lap! The younger sister of prosecutor Sae Niijima… and the younger brother of the detective Ken Kazero." Toya felt the hair on his body stand up straight for a moment, as Kaneshiro let out those words in that condescending tone of his. He knew who he was already, after only a day…? "Young women are so useful. They lack physical strength are dumb. It's as if they only exist to be devoured by the strong. Meanwhile on the other side of the spectrum, young men fail to realize their potential in this world. Instead, they spend their time chasing after useless things like love and getting angry the one they love is hurt. Those two rules have existed since the dawn of history, and is even evident in you two."

"I've heard enough out of you already. If you think I'm so weak, then you'd have tried fighting me on your own yesterday. Instead, you're ordering those that are stronger than you to do your work for you, simply praying that they'll never feel the urge to rebel against you as a unit." Toya began walking forward, his piercing gaze ripping straight through Kaneshiro. "Don't you dare try to lecture me on what makes someone weak or strong."

"Don't make me laugh, petty thief. Your hot-blooded nature will prove meaningless against the greatest security that money can buy." With a snap of his fingers, the Shadows began to walk forward, all staring directly at Toya. "Anyone will do anything for money. I'll rob you of your lives as easily as I breathe air." Kaneshiro began snickering as he stared at the two, Toya far in front of Makoto as trying to keep her protected, even though he was unsure of what he could do against this many guards. "Be sure to only kill the boy, though. There's no need to put any harm on the goods."

"Toya…!"

"Your sister is quite a beauty as well. Perhaps I should use you as ransom and make her my personal slave. Once I get bored, I'll just sell her off. Oh, poor Sis… She could've been successful, if her younger sister wasn't so dumb."

"My sister has nothing to do with this!"

"Then you better start taking customers tomorrow. All you gotta do is endure it and do as you're told."

"Endure it… Do as I'm told…" Makoto closed her eyes and faced down, her hands falling to the sides of her body.

"You'll earn three million yen in no time. Although, your life and everything along with it will be a complete wreck by then!" Kaneshiro began laughing maniacally, sounding just as cocky and conceited as he did when Toya first encountered him.

"I've been listening to you go on and on…" Suddenly, Makoto clenched her fists. Toya turned to her, seeing the anger on her face directly. "Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing asshole!" Makoto's voice suddenly had so much more anger and resolve behind it… as if something was awakening deep inside her.

"_Have you decided to tread the path of strife…?_

"Yes… Come to me!"

"_Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once." _Makoto's eyes flashed yellow for a second, as she held her head, grunting in what sounded like excruciating pain. This sounded so familiar… Toya recognized this pain. "_I am thou, thou art I… You have finally found your own justice… Please… Never lose sight of it again."_ With a scream, Makoto stomped her foot into the ground, cracking the floor beneath her. She still managed to stand on both feet, as she stomped her other foot, her entire body shaking in pain. "_This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self…" _Makoto looked up, only to see a grey, steel mask covering her face. She grit her teeth and grabbed the mask as hard as she could, before pulling it off with all of her might. She screamed as blood dripped down from around her eyes, as a blue flame erupted around her, with severe winds blowing everything away..

"What the hell!?" Kaneshiro and his guards were pushed back by the sheer force of Makoto's awakening, even Toya came close to losing his footing. Once the wind stopped and the flames began dying down, Toya opened his eyes, only to see what appeared to be a motorcycle. On top of it was Makoto, wearing a black and grey costume with spiked shoulder pads. She looked towards Kaneshiro and revved her motorcycle, a fierce look of determination visible in her eyes.

"I can feel it… 'Myself'... Me…!" Makoto's angered gaze shifted from Kaneshiro to all of the Shadows that were surrounding him. "Gun it!" Revving up her motorcycle one more time, she drove towards the shadows and turned, skidding across the flood and making contact with the Shadows, sending them flying away and causing them to vanish instantly. Kaneshiro began sweating, before composing himself, looking towards the three remaining Shadows he had.

"You better earn your keep, or else I'll kill you!" The Shadows nodded, and began running straight for Makoto. Toya ran up and stood next to Makoto, holding his blade up to the Shadows that were approaching.

"I will not lose heart again, ever. I'll go full speed, non-stop! Right, Johanna!?" The Shadows transformed in front of Toya and Makoto, summoning forth two more red demons, and a new one. This one still looked demonic, but it's sword was much longer, and it's skin was red with white stripes all over it. "Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself! I am DONE playing nice! Let's go, Johanna! Full throttle!" Makoto immediately drove straight into them, trying to replicate what she did to the Shadows from earlier, but this was different. Those earlier Shadows were caught off guard and weren't even transformed yet, but these were prepared. They all began raising their swords in an attempt to counterattack, but Toya saw through it. Ripping his mask off, he was able to summon Diabolos in time to fire off a blast of dark magic to all three of them. The blast itself was weak, but it was enough to break their focus, giving Makoto the chance to collide with all three of them. The impact was strong, sending them all staggering back, but it wasn't enough to finish them. These Shadows were too big for Makoto to be able to collide with all three of them with enough brute force to take them down.

"It seems like you won't be able to take down three on your own… but that's fine." Toya stepped forward, eyeing the three demons as they regained their footing. "I'll handle those red ones. You deal with that striped one in the middle, got it?" Toya and Makoto looked at each other and nodded, before Toya went rushing into them. Using his hookshot, he was able to propel himself above the Shadows, and landed down onto one of the red demons. Holding his blade out, he was able to pierce right through one's head, instantly finishing it off as he looked to his left, only to see the other one looming over him, sword already in the air. Toya rolled out of the way of the demon's sword, as it came crashing down onto where he was. He quickly fired a bullet at the demon's horn, causing it to scream out in agony as Toya ran forward, jumping through the air and spinning around, slicing through it's head and finishing it instantly.

Meanwhile, Makoto's first real fight was beginning. While she didn't have the greatest grasp on how to use her Persona yet, there were some things that came to her rather naturally. She had no idea why it felt like this, but it was… relieving, in a way. She felt so much stronger than she ever did before, it was liberating. She drove forward and jumped off of her motorcycle, as Johanna caused a blue explosion to engulf the striped demon. The demon lost his balance and fell to his knees, as Makoto came crashing down onto his head with her fists, smashing the demon directly into the floor and causing it to disappear instantly. They looked around to see that Kaneshiro was long gone, but the Shadows were still fast approaching.

"Any ideas?"

"Yeah. Get on!" Makoto drove towards Toya, stopping in front of him. He quickly got on and sat behind her, as Makoto drove towards the wall.

"Smash it!"

"Diabolos!" Toya yelled out to his Persona as he ripped his mask off once more, charging the biggest blast he could and breaking a large, gaping hole in the wall. Makoto sped up, speeding straight through the wall and out of the bank entirely. As soon as they were outside, Toya pulled out his phone, and they left the Metaverse together.

**June 19th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

The two returned to the real world, just barely escaping the Shadows. It was a hard fought battle, but they had won, at least for now. Toua began stretching, before realizing Makoto was practically asleep with how exhausted she is.

"You still awake down there?"

"Barely…" Toya looked around. Night was beginning to fall already, meaning they spent basically the entire day in the Metaverse. It was no wonder Makoto was so exhausted. Toya slowly brought Makoto up and walked with her down into the subway station. As soon as they boarded a train, though, she immediately fell asleep. Toya originally planned on waking her up, but she looked so peaceful… she even had a smile on her face. He instead opted just to carry her the rest of the way home, allowing her to continue sleeping after her hard work.


	14. Bank of Gluttony (1 of 2)

**June 20th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

MAKOTO: Three million yen by the end of the month…

MAKOTO: Is that even possible for high schoolers?

TOYA: Probably not, unless we borrowed a ridiculous amount of money from my brother.

TOYA: Even then, I can't see a world where Kaneshiro would delete those pictures.

TOYA: If I hadn't smashed his phone... we'd be pretty screwed.

MAKOTO: Well, it's a good thing you did.

MAKOTO: What's your plan now? Do you still want to stop him?

TOYA: Yes, I do.

TOYA: I'm gonna stop him the only way I can think to... with a change of heart.

MAKOTO: I'm still worried about that. How does it exactly work…?

TOYA: I wish I knew for sure. Everything I know about this is from eavesdropping on the Phantom Thieves.

TOYA: Supposedly, it's something like this: We go into their Palace, find their Treasure, send a calling card to make it materialize, and then steal it.

TOYA: We only get one chance at the calling card though.

MAKOTO: I see…

MAKOTO: His Shadow... it recognized us. Do you think he knows our identities in the real world, too?

TOYA: I don't know for sure, but... I don't want to risk finding that out.

MAKOTO: Let's enter his Palace today, then. The faster we do this, the better.

TOYA: I agree. I'd like to spend Sunday making the calling card, so let's try to find Kaneshiro's Treasure by Saturday.

MAKOTO: Sounds good. Do we meet at Shibuya Station again?

TOYA: Yeah. I'll meet you there.

**June 20th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Kaneshiro's Palace (Bank Entrance)**

"Oh, right. Now that you have a Persona, there was something I was wondering about."

"Hm? What's that?"

"To my knowledge, the Phantom Thieves use code names. When I had to communicate with one of them, I also used a code name: Hazard. Maybe it's time for you to get one too."

"A code name… I suppose I'm fine with that. What should it be?"

"Well, I got mine from something that Shadows said to me. They called me a 'hazard to society', and it kinda just stuck. As for you… I'm not really sure. Does anything come to mind?"

"Hmm… how about Queen?"

"Queen… I think it fits you pretty well." Toya and Makoto nodded, before climbing up to the bank. Once they got there, they immediately noticed an issue: the front entrance was completely boarded up. Toya and Makoto stared at it in silence for a brief moment, both feeling like they probably got too aggressive.

"Do you think there's another way in…?"

"I wouldn't be _too_ surprised. Any idea where it could be?" Makoto began looking around, before a golden statue of a pig caught her attention. She walked over to it with Toya following behind her.

"Do you feel a draft…?"

"Yeah, actually… coming from just underneath this. I wonder…" Toya took a step forward, pressing a button that was hidden in plain sight on the statue. Suddenly, the statue moved, revealing a hole in the ground. "Good catch… let's get going." Toya and Makoto both dropped down, entering Kaneshiro's bank through it's obscure hidden entrance.

**June 20th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Kaneshiro's Palace (Front Hall)**

Finally inside of the Palace, the two of them scanned the room they were in. Peeking around a corner, they saw the entrance to the Bank- where they had fought off Shadows yesterday.

"So, as for a plan… I have a few general things we need to consider."

"Hm? Like what?"

"First of all, with how massive this place seems to be, I think we should try finding a map as soon as we possibly can. After all, that might give us a hint as to where the Treasure might be."

"I suppose that makes sense. Is there anything else for now?"

"Let's try to be quiet, too. I'm sure we're gonna have to fight Shadows at some point, but there are too many for just us to deal with. Let's try to get by without fighting too many, otherwise we're just gonna tire ourselves out."

"I see… you're right. I suppose we can't let the pressure of a deadline get to us." The two nodded, before Toya stepped forward, Makoto followed close behind him as they snuck through the main area, keeping as quiet as they can so as not to alert any Shadows. Once they successfully got through, they saw a Shadow walk into an elevator that descended downward, and locked behind him.

"It locked behind him… that might mean that the Treasure is on a lower floor."

"That would make sense. There doesn't seem to be many areas above us, just one floor." The two of them turned their heads away, continuing onwards to a staircase. Once they got up, they saw more ATMs- talking ones.

"Why… Why did I ever loan money from someone like him…?" Makoto took a step back, turning her head away for a moment before clenching her fists.

"That bastard… he probably sees the students that way. I'm not gonna let him walk all over them anymore!"

"We'll stop him, Queen. I know we will. Come on, we have work to do." Makoto looked to Toya, nodding and following him. Toya's confidence… it was actually really nice to hear, almost contagiously-so. They continued up the stairs, until something caught their attention, something they hadn't seen yet- and weren't expecting at all.

"Are those… dogs...? Have you ever seen one in the Metaverse, Toya?"

"No, never. This is a first for me as well." The dogs turned around to them for a moment, before they both began to bark as loudly as they could, charging towards the two of them and suddenly transforming into twin-headed Shadows. "Damn it, they're Shadows!? Come on, let's take them down!"

"Right!" Makoto clenched her fists, her Tekko materializing around them, as Toya did the same with his gunblade. The dogs jumped into the air and tried crashing down on both of them, but Makoto successfully dodged out of the way, while Toya simply blocked the hit with his blade, pushing the dog off of him. He charged towards the dog that was trying to regain its balance, cutting through the dog like it was only paper, finishing it instantly. Meanwhile, Makoto struggled a little bit more. She wasn't fast enough yet to charge in and finish the dog while it was recovering like Toya was, but she wasn't stupid. Instead of trying to do something she wasn't able to do, she studied the dog for a moment, and took note of its patterns. It would instinctively charge into her and try to bite down on her with its massive fangs, so attacking it head-on wasn't a good approach. However, just because she couldn't hit it in the face didn't mean it was impossible for her to counter. Within a few moments, the dog charged into her once more, jumping up into the air and attempting to bite down. However, as soon as the dog was off the ground, Makoto lifted one leg into the air, and slammed it down onto the dog as it was in the air, knocking it down to the ground instantly. Within the time it took for the dog to recover from this, she was able to punch right through it, causing the dog to vanish into black smoke. She took a deep breath then cracked her knuckles.

"You sure learn quick, don't you?"

"You'd be surprised. I suppose studying has sharpened my brain enough to think of strategies like that. Although, seeing you do something similar definitely jump started the idea in my head."

"Keep fighting with an open mind like that and you'll be a master by the time we're done with this place." Toya nodded in approval, before he heard the sound of footsteps. The loud noises that the dogs made caught the attention of some nearby Shadows, as they raced to the scene. "More of them! Stay on guard!" The guards quickly made it to them, transforming into their real forms: one red demon, and three angels. "Think you can handle the big one?"

"Leave it to me!" Makoto ripped off her mask, holding it close to her face as jumping onto Johanna. She spun around once, before a blue explosion engulfed the demon, knocking it away from the angels. The angels tried rushing to the demon, but Toya was much quicker. He took off his summoning Diabolos and firing off dark magic in the direction of all three angels. The angels were defeated in an instant, leaving Makoto alone with the demon. As the demon got up and emerged from the wall, it tried smashing it's sword down onto Makoto, but she quickly dodged out of the way. With how slow the demon was, she was able to properly fire back this time, once again using Johanna to send the demon flying. The force from this explosion was enough to finish it off, as it faded into mist once it collided with the wall. She turned to Toya, who was putting his mask back on.

"I think that's the last of the reinforcements, for now. Let's get going." The two of them stretched for a moment, before turning a corner and continuing onward. However, once they turned that corner, they saw a door that was sealed by iron bars. "A sealed off room… this must be important if it's guarded this heavily."

"Probably. It looks like we need something to open it, though… maybe a key-card?"

"A key-card… I suppose that's probably true. I guess we'd better just continue onward in hopes that we find one." Unable to continue onward through the blocked door, Toya and Makoto went on throughout the rest of the floor. However, the only other door they could find brought them right back to where they had started. For a bit, they were stumped. After a while though, Toya noticed something. Makoto followed him as he made his way towards an open ventilation shaft.

"We're gonna crawl through that…?"

"Worth a shot, right? I don't see any other options, anyways." Slowly climbing up to the vent, they both crawled into it, until they suddenly found a new room- one with Shadows inside of it. Toya looked back to Makoto, before they both nodded and emerged from the other side.

"Intruders!? We'll show you the strength of Kaneshiro's elite men!" The Shadows transformed within moments of them entering the room. Toya and Makoto's weapons materialized, as they found themselves staring down… creatures that resembled horses, only they were red and standing on two feet.

"Any idea on how we deal with these ones, Hazard?" Toya smirked, before taking off his mask and throwing it into the air. As his Persona came out, he simply snapped his fingers, causing Diabolos's arms to morph as he fired away at the Shadows, dropping every one of them almost instantly, before he caught his mask in his hands, putting it back on as Makoto just watched in awe.

"How about _that_ way?"

"I-I guess that works…" Makoto looked away for a moment, before something on the wall suddenly caught her eye. "Wait, is this a map?" Toya turned his head over to the other side of the room, seeing something on the table that caught his attention.

"A key-card, too… we're in luck! Let's look at the map first." Toya walked behind Makoto, peeking over her shoulder and reading the map. "That's weird… it's like it's incomplete or something…"

"I think it is. But at least we can get an idea of how big this place is."

"Yeah. I think we're about a third of the way through already. Do you think we should stop here?"

"No, not yet. I'd rather maximize our time here, so we have enough time to prepare for what may come at the end of the Palace."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Something tells me that we won't be able to just take Kaneshiro's Treasure that easily. I doubt he's gonna go down without a fight, so when that happens, we need to be ready."

"I see… yes, you're right. We'll need as much time as possible to prepare for when that happens. Well, let's get back to that sealed door then." Toya and Makoto nodded at each other before leaving the room, carrying the map and the key-card with them as they made their way back to the sealed off room they found earlier. They were able to open the sealed door, entering inside, and riding on top of an elevator down to a lower floor.

"How do you feel? Still feeling okay enough to explore some more?" Makoto didn't respond. Instead, she just sat there, deep in thought and looking away. Toya inched closer to her, snapping his fingers until Makoto finally snapped out of it.

"Oh! I'm sorry- I was just thinking of something…"

"Are you alright? It took some effort to get your attention…" Makoto looked at him, then looked away again, closing her eyes and thinking.

"I'm not… getting in your way, am I?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"A few days ago, my sister talked to me, and… she said that I'm just eating away at her life. At first, I thought she was just mad at me, but… when I started thinking about it some more, it made sense. I really am useless to her…"

"For someone so smart… you think about some really dumb things, you know that?" Makoto opened her eyes, visibly confused as she turned to Toya, who was looking down at the elevator they were on. "At the end of the day, we're kids. We leech off of people until we become self sufficient. So maybe at this moment, you think you're useless. My brother might even think of me the same way, but…" Toya stood up straight and opened his eyes. "Look at what we're doing now. We're doing something in to the world, we're getting rid of something that's a threat to everyone- including my brother and your sister. Not to mention… look at yourself, at your future. You're on the path towards a life where you're going to be amazing- and you'll have plenty to show for it. You just need to believe in the path you're on." Makoto didn't respond right away. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Neither of them said a word, they just stared. Makoto was still confused and concerned, but she realized that there might still be hope- and that was enough for her.

**June 20th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Kaneshiro's Palace (Banker Passageway)**

Their gaze was broken once the elevator suddenly stopped. Makoto picked herself up, and the two nodded at each other. They crawled through a nearby vent and jumped down to the floor, examining their surroundings. Taking a look at the map, it seemed like they were in a basement, but it wasn't the absolute lowest level of the bank.

"All security, listen up!" Toya and Makoto looked around. Both of them recognized Kaneshiro's voice, no matter how much different it sounded in the Metaverse. "It looks like those two rats have infested this place! Under no circumstances let them further down! Strengthen security as much as you can! Understood?"

"I'm getting really sick of that voice…" Toya began walking forward, cracking his knuckles and making his way to the next room.

"At least he confirmed that we were right in going further down. The Treasure must be at the bottom floor."

"We'll take him down. I know it." Toya and Makoto both went on, continuing their search of the Palace. However, they stopped for a brief moment, looking at the top of the room and seeing security cameras. "Security cameras… we'll have to be even more careful now."

"No, I think I have a much better solution to it than that." Makoto slowly took a step back, before charging forward. She jumped up into the air, reeling back her fist and hitting the camera, smashing it down to the ground. Toya smirked at the sight, before the two ran forward and broke the next two cameras as well."

"That's… a lot easier. Come on, let's keep moving." the two of them moved forward, entering a door and seeing Shadows with their backs turned away from them. They looked at eachother, nodding before slowly inching forward. Toya took out his blade and suddenly stabbed straight through the Shadow in the middle, destroying it instantly. Before the other two Shadows could react to this. Makoto grabbed them by their heads and slammed them into each other, leaving them both in a daze as she finished them off. Without giving them a chance to even transform, Toya and Makoto dealt with the Shadows without so much as breaking a sweat. Proud of their work, they continued onward, destroying two more security cameras and going up a flight of stairs. They began focusing more and more on stealth, avoiding all of the Shadows they could and moving onward. After a couple minutes of sneaking around, they found themselves in a large room. Makoto took out the map the two of them had, examining it and finding the room they were in.

"So, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that we're getting closer to the next area of this place. The bad news is that this room is the last room on the map…"

"That must mean there's another map not too far away, right? Come on, let's keep moving." Makoto nodded, following Toya as he destroyed more security cameras in their path, continuing downwards and coming across what appeared to be a giant vault.

"A vault…? No, it's… a door…?"

"A giant door that looks like a vault… I don't know what I was expecting."

"It seems there's a lot more beyond this. There are two keyholes, so we're gonna need to find more keys before we get past this."

"Two keys… well, that can't be too hard. Let's get going." The two of them began going back upstairs, looking around the rooms they hadn't explored yet, before noticing one room they hadn't yet entered. The room was locked off by iron bars, and there were two voices coming from inside. Toya and Makoto waited next to the wall, and began listening in on the conversation.

"Hey, did you hear? It sounds like those intruders are wreaking havoc in here."

"What's wrong? Are you nervous? Don't be. We have the keys they need, so things should be OK as long as we protect them." Toya and Makoto looked at each other. These were clearly the two keys for the vault downstairs, so they needed to get them.

"You up for a fight? These two are definitely stronger than the rest. If you don't think you're ready, then we can think of something else…"

"No, let's do this. We're strong enough to take them." Makoto took off her mask, summoning her Persona and getting on top of it. Toya smirked, getting on just behind her. They looked at each other, before Makoto revved up Johanna, driving into the bars and breaking through them, bringing them into the room with the guards.

"They're here already!? Come on, let's take them down!" The two guards quickly transformed, turning into two demons. One was blue and faceless, while the other was red with white stripes. Both of them were large, and even had giant swords with them. Toya recognized the red and white one, but the blue one was new, and probably a lot stronger as a result.

"That blue one is mine. Go after the red one!"

"You sure you can handle that thing…?"

"I'm sure. Go!" Toya looked at Makoto with slight concern, before jumping off of Johanna, his sights set on the red demon. If he took it down fast enough, he would be able to help Makoto with the blue one. He ripped off his mask, summoning Diabolos and landing down. The red demon charged towards him, but it was slow. Toya dodged its massive blade and used it as an opening, snapping his fingers as Diabolos shot dark magic towards it. Even though it made direct impact, the demon was strong enough to take it. Toya jumped forward as the demon brought his blade back up, the two swords colliding with each other as they both began to push towards each other.

Meanwhile, Makoto was driving around the blue demon in circles. The blue demon was definitely faster than the red one, but it wasn't that smart. She continued driving in circles around it until the demon got confused and dizzy, then used the chance to jump up and land a punch on it. She got a direct hit, but it was only enough to stagger the demon, not enough to finish it. She landed on Johanna and spun around once more, causing a blue explosion to send the demon flying away into the wall. Revving up Johanna one more time, she charged straight forward, crashing into the demon and finishing it off. As she finished the blue demon off, Toya backed away from the red one's blade, instead opting to shoot at its eyes, bringing it down to its knees and finishing it off with a quick slice to its neck. Toya stretched, as Makoto fell to her knees, panting. He picked up the key dropped by the red demon, and a map that was on the other side of the room, before he made his way over to her.

"You took that thing down all by yourself… I'm impressed."

"That was nothing…" Makoto looked up at Toya, trying to play it off as if she had it under control, even though she was clearly out of breath. Toya walked behind her and picked up the key that the blue demon dropped.

"We have both keys now, as well as the second map. It looks like we're around two thirds of the way done by now. You think this is a good place to stop for the day?"

"Yeah… let's go back."


	15. Bank of Gluttony (2 of 2)

**June 21st, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Kaneshiro's Palace (Banker Passageway)**

Returning to the Metaverse, Toya and Makoto quickly went back to where they had left the last time they were there. The two of them stood in front of the large vault door, both holding a key in their hands. They turned the keys at the same time, opening the vault door before entering what was behind it.

**June 21st, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Kaneshiro's Palace (Laundering Office)**

Once they stepped into the room, their eyes instantly widened as they looked around the room. It was money… all of it. Everything around them was covered in absurd amounts of money.

"That asshole… he took all of this from the weak, didn't he…!?" Makoto clenched her fists, her rage building just from thinking about how many students he ruined. They all suffered because of his greed, and now she was one of his next targets.

"We're gonna stop this, Queen. That bastard won't take a single coin once we're done with him, I promise. Let's move." Toya and Makoto began making their way down the long hallway, turning a corner and spotting security cameras, along with Shadows. "We won't be able to destroy those cameras without getting rid of the Shadows. You ready?"

"Definitely. Let's go!" Makoto ran ahead, Toya following close behind as they quickly caught the attention of the Shadows. They all quickly morphed into their real forms, consisting of two female warriors, two fairies, and a red demon. Makoto jumped into the air as she took her mask off, landing directly onto Johanna and spinning around, causing blue explosions to engulf all of the Shadows. The fairies disappeared instantly, while the warriors were brought down to their knees, the demon still standing strong. Using Johanna as a stepping stone, Toya bounced off of it, aiming for the two warriors and firing his gunblade at both of them, finishing them off. Once it was only the demon left, Toya took out his hookshot, piercing the demon's head and bringing himself up to it, stabbing straight through and causing it to disappear. Makoto put her mask back on and looked at Toya in complete confusion. "When did you get that!?"

"The hookshot? I've had it for a while, there just hasn't been a good chance to use it yet." Toya put his hookshot away and aimed his gunblade at the cameras, shooting them down and continuing forward, Makoto following behind him. They crawled through an open space in the wall and went further down, crawling into an elevator room and descending down a floor. Once they got out of the elevator, they entered a door to their right, finding themselves in a large room with multiple floors. They looked towards the bottom floor, instantly noticing Kaneshiro speaking with multiple Shadows- all of which looking stronger than regular ones. Toya and Makoto got directly above them and tried listening in, but it was impossible to understand them with how far they were. However, whatever was happening, there was no doubt that it was rather serious. Kaneshiro looked worried. Toya and Makoto looked at each other, before getting on top of the railing and jumping down. They landed on two of the Shadows, and were able to take them down before they were able to even transform. Considering they looked like the Shadows they had to fight before leaving the Palace yesterday, this was a huge time save for them. They looked back towards Kaneshiro, seeing him standing next to one more guard.

"Y-You bastards… How did you get this far!? What about my security!?"

"I beat your guards in the real world, did you really think I'd struggle here? I even have a teammate this time."

"Damn it… h-hey, finish these vermin here! Keep them away from the elevator at all costs!" The Shadow stepped forward as per Kaneshiro's command, and slowly morphed into its true form: an incredibly tall figure in golden armor, holding a sword. Toya and Makoto wasted no time charging in together, Makoto punching the armored Shadow as Toya tried to slash away at it, however, there was little to no effect. The armor it had made it much bulkier than anything they had encountered earlier. Toya and Makoto jumped back, trying to think of a new approach for taking it down. However, as they were thinking, the Shadow slowly spun its blade around in its hands, pressing the hilt against the ground and suddenly creating a massive explosion, sending both Toya and Makoto flying back. They landed on their feet before being knocked all the way into the wall, but it still hurt.

"Can we even take this thing down? We didn't even put a dent in that armor, and I don't see a weakness…" Makoto's confidence faltered, before Toya suddenly held out his arm in front of her, walking forward while taking off his mask.

"Stay back and watch closely. This is gonna be one of your most important lessons in this world…" With his mask completely off and his Persona appearing behind him, he charged forward, keeping his eyes on the Shadow. He knew very well that he couldn't directly harm the Shadow, but he didn't need to. He watched as the Shadow began to spin its blade around again, and pulled his hookshot out, aiming for the upper floor and firing. He quickly pulled himself up out of the way, getting out of the explosion radius. He turned around, hanging onto the railing with one hand, his mask in the other. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing before staring down- at the floor right underneath the Shadow, who was turning around to see him. Diabolos began to charge dark magic, before firing multiple blasts near the Shadow's feet. As all of the blasts impacted at once, the floor rumbled for a moment, before beginning to crumble. Toya slowly put his mask back on, as a circle around the Shadow fully cracked open. The Shadow tried to move, but it was far too slow- unable to move out of the way due to the heavy armor it had. On top of how hard the armor made it to move, the added weight made the Shadow fall through the floor even faster. Within moments, the golden armored monster was completely out of Toya and Makoto's sights, leaving only a large, gaping hole in the floor. Toya let go of the railing and landed on a more stable area, looking towards Makoto, who had been watching every movement.

"So the lesson was… exploiting someone's key attribute and making it a weakness…?"

"Essentially, yes. That armor made it impossible for us to deal direct damage, but that didn't make it unstoppable." Toya stretched, putting his mask back on as his Persona faded back into himself. "There is no such thing as a 'perfect defense' when it comes to battle. There will always be a weakness- a counter to every kind of strength. The most effective way to win a battle is to use every resource available to you, in an attempt to find that counter."

"And the counter to an unbreakable armor… is the extra weight that it adds on to the user. I see…"

"You're getting a good idea of combat now. If you remember everything I've taught you, then we'll get through this Palace smoothly." Makoto looked away for a moment, considering something in her mind before speaking.

"What about… the next Palace?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I was just wondering… Did you plan on doing this again? Infiltrating a Palace, I mean…"

"I don't know what you wanna do… but honestly, I love doing this. I feel like I'm accomplishing something that would otherwise be impossible to accomplish. I mean, even the police can't touch Kaneshiro… and we're _this_ close to stopping him ourselves- as _teenagers_. If we get more chances like this, then… I'd love to keep going."

"If it's not too much of a burden to you… do you mind if I continue working with you?"

"You actually want to?"

"Well… I feel like I'm learning so much from you. Things that I could never learn from studying textbooks and such, and I even reconnected with an old passion of mine. It's… amazing. So if it's alright with you, I'd enjoy continuing working alongside you."

"Well, if you really want to… I'm not gonna say no. Having a partner around is… actually really helpful. Not to mention… I enjoy having you around to begin with, so if you want to stay… I have zero objections." The two of them nodded at each other, smiling and turning towards an elevator. "I'm assuming Kaneshiro escaped through this while we were dealing with the Shadow…"

"Probably… it definitely started quite the commotion, after all." They walked into the elevator, descending down to the next floor, nearing the end. "I was wondering… how do we know what the Treasure is? I mean, most things we've seen here look pretty expensive…"

"I don't know for sure, but… if we have to make it materialize, then I'm sure we'll be able to tell when we find it."

"I see… That makes sense. I'll trust your judgement on this, so let's get going." The elevator stopped descending, and the two got off. In front of them was what appeared to be a large silver wall, and to their right, there was a pin keypad. Toya approached it, taking a close look.

"A pin code… with the word "RICH" on it. What do you think?" Makoto stretched for a moment, stepping back and facing the keypad."

"Step aside. I think I've got this one." Toya looked a bit surprised, as he stepped away from the keypad. Makoto waited for a moment, preparing herself before she ran forward, jumping up into the air. She landed on the keypad and used it as a stepping stone, boosting herself all the way up the wall, standing proud. "See? I told you I was learning." Toya smirked, stepping back and mimicking what Makoto did to get on to the wall.

"I guess I can't deny that." The two nodded, before jumping across the room. They quickly made their way to the center of the room, spotting both an elevator, and a Shadow. This Shadow was much larger than the rest, even the one in golden armor they had to fight beforehand.

"I'll handle this."

"Alone? Are you sure?"

"I need to test just how much I've really learned. If I've really improved as much as I think I have… then I'll be able to win, right?" Toya looked into Makoto's eyes, seeing the determination burning in them. He turned his head to the Shadow next, and his concern grew immensely. He trusted Makoto, and he saw the progress she was making- but _this_? This was terrifying. Toya knew he could handle it, but could Makoto really do the same? He looked back at Makoto, her eyes still burning brightly.

"Fine… but if this goes wrong, I'm stepping in right away."

"Got it!" Makoto's gaze turned to the Shadow, as she jumped down, landing in front of the giant Shadow. She stared ahead, not saying a word.

"Hmph, you must be one of the rats we've been hearing about… Well, Mr. Kaneshiro ordered me to absolutely not let anyone past this point. Accept your death!" The Shadow quickly sunk into the floor, emerging as a giant demon with two horns pointing outwards, and no arms. Makoto studied the analogy for a moment. If it had no arms, then it'd have to use an unorthodox approach. The options it had that were magic, and slamming down with those horns. It wasn't gonna be easy to avoid, but by no means was it impossible. The Shadow immediately charged towards Makoto. She quickly tore her mask off and jumped up, landing directly onto Johanna and driving out of the way of the Shadow. The Shadow stopped moving at the very last moment, not ramming into the steel wall. It was smarter than the rest, but Makoto could still outsmart it. Still on top of Johanna, Makoto revved up the motorcycle and started driving towards the Shadow. The Shadow quickly planted his feet onto the ground, reeling its head back. Makoto could tell from this posture that it planned on bashing its head onto her, but that knowledge was all she needed. She continued driving forward, but at the very last moment, she jumped off, going up into the air as the Shadow slammed down with its horns, just as Makoto expected. Its attack completely missed now that Makoto was so far in the air, as she came crashing down with her fist, smashing it against the Shadow's head, sending it into the steel wall Toya was standing atop of. The Shadow took a moment to regain its balance, but still wasn't defeated. Letting out a massive roar, the Shadow begun charging up some kind of magical attack. Makoto jumped back, only to see lightning fall right in front of her. She turned around and ran towards Johanna, dogging bolts of electricity as they fell from above. Once she got onto Johanna, she began charging ahead, the Shadow still letting off bolts of electricity, but Makoto watched carefully. The posture that the Shadow had was identical to before when it tried to smash its head down onto her. Taking note of this, Makoto stopped moving just barely out of the Shadow's range, baiting it once again into attacking. However, instead of jumping into the air, Makoto spun around, charging up her own magic. She created a large blue explosion that engulfed the Shadow, sending it flying back. The Shadow bounced off of the wall it was sent to, falling toward the ground, before suddenly opening its eyes and seeing that Makoto had drove towards it while it was flying away. She drove her fist directly into the Shadow's head, punching with all of her might before the Shadow was gone, disintegrated into a black fog. She took a deep breath, as Toya jumped down from the wall he waited on.

"You weren't kidding… you really _did_ learn a lot." Makoto looked towards Toya, smiling as still getting her breath back. Even though it was a decisive victory, it took a lot out of her regardless. Toya walked forward, gently lifting Makoto up and letting her lean on his shoulder, as the two if them went down the final elevator. Once they went down, they found themselves in a rather empty room, with only one thing to really see. It was a hard to really make out what it was, but it looked like… a ball of mist.

"What is that…?"|

"That's it… that's the Treasure."

"Wait, _that_ thing?"

"Like I said, we need to send the calling card to have it materialize. There's no doubt in my mind though, that _has_ to be it." Toya and Makoto looked towards the mist, before looking towards each other. They nodded, and turned around, leaving the Palace for the day. They had accomplished a lot.

**June 21st, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

MAKOTO: All that's left is to send the calling card…

MAKOTO: How do we go about that?

TOYA: I have a calling card from the Phantom Thieves, one of the ones that was posted around Madarame's art exhibit.

TOYA: If we use this as a base, I'm sure we could make one of our own.

MAKOTO: I see…

MAKOTO: We'd be posing as the Phantom Thieves then, wouldn't we?

TOYA: Yes. Unless you can think of a new name for us?

MAKOTO: I don't think that's necessary. Perhaps it would be better if they were to take credit for this instead.

MAKOTO: Bring the calling card you have to school tomorrow and show me it. I'm gonna see if I can do something about altering it and creating copies of it…

TOYA: Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then.


	16. Junya BAEL Kaneshiro

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya**

Days had passed since Toya and Makoto found Kaneshiro's Treasure. Their deadline was coming up, but they weren't very concerned with that. After they found the Treasure, they had spent the rest of the week planning out how they'd deliver the calling card to Kaneshiro. Ultimately, even though they were only posing as the Phantom Thieves, they wanted to raise publicity for this. This was _their _accomplishment- something they were proud of. They didn't want the police to get the credit for this, they wanted it to be known that someone else did this. Even if the world thought it was the work of the Phantom Thieves, that was fine by them. There was so much corruption in the world, and the police couldn't even apprehend Kaneshiro in the first place. For all they knew, there could even be police officers that are on Kaneshiro's payroll. Toya and Makoto couldn't take any risks, everything had to be done their way, everything up to Kaneshiro confessing to his crimes. That was the only way this would be possible. Toya and Makoto came to this conclusion after days of planning how to deliver the calling card, and on Saturday evening, the calling card was finally delivered while everyone else was asleep. Kaneshiro was in his club, doing nothing out of the ordinary for him. It was a slow day for him, and all he could think about was what that high school student did to him. He narrowed down who it could be, and all signs pointed to a kid named Toya Kazero, but there was little he could actually do for now. Toya's brother was an amazing detective- and if he got even a shred of proof about Kaneshiro's activities, he was done for. "Excuse me, sir, but…" Kaneshiro's thoughts were cut off as one of his guards walked into the room, holding a black and red card in his hands. "Uh, I found this on the car. There's something written on it…"

"Hm? Read it."

"Um, but…"

"I said, read it!"

"Sir Junya Kaneshiro, the money-devouring sinner of gluttony… You indulge in scamming others with horrendous methods that target minors exclusively. We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your open mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, The Phantom Thieves…" The guard gulped, his entire body shaking with worry as he looked at Kaneshiro. "I-Isn't this bad…?"

"What of it?"

"I-If something happened to you…! I mean, if the higher-ups find out about this…"

"Don't waste your time worrying about this useless shit. Just keep quiet for now."

"B-But it's… posted all around the city… People're talking about it online too…" Kaneshiro grunted. This was the first time he actually felt threatened. The only thing he could even think of is who did this- was it that kid? It couldn't be, he would have come to Kaneshiro and done it himself. This was the work of someone smarter than him- but… who?

"All of you, bring me your earnings! If you don't surpass your quota… I'll kill you."

"Y-Yes, sir!" The guard ran off, as Kaneshiro stood up. There had to be an answer to this, there had to be _something_ he could do, but… what?

"_Phantom Thieves…? Don't make me laugh."_ Kaneshiro thought to himself, as looking to the woman in the room.

"Hey, we're leaving." Kaneshiro looked ahead, thinking of what he could do. There was something he could do with the amount of money he had, he just had to figure out _what_. "They'll pay for this…"

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Kaneshiro's Palace (Laundering Office)**

"I can't believe you actually posted the card all over the city… You're way more gutsy than you look, Queen." Toya and Makoto approached the final elevator, the one that would lead directly down to the treasure. They both looked ahead, waiting for the elevator to come up.

"It was the only way. Besides, your eye color would stick out way too much. Doesn't this seem like the only way?"

"Are my eyes really _that_ noticeable…? I never really thought about it myself."

"Kaneshiro's Shadow was able to figure out who you were in only a day, off of the fact that you have purple eyes and wear a Shujin uniform. Isn't that enough evidence…?" Toya looked away. He never really considered that before. Though, he could exactly change his eye color. Makoto reached into her pocket, taking out a purple bandana and handing it to Toya. "Try picking up some colored contacts, or something. That'll help, right?" Toya took back his bandana and put it away, as the elevator door finally opened. They entered inside and began to descend downward. This was it… everything they had done this far came down to this. Failure was not an option anymore, they had to do this. They both had stern looks in their eyes as the elevator doors opened once more, the two of them walking into the basement floor. However, once they got there, they immediately noticed that things were different than they had remembered. A giant safe was there, covering up the treasure they encountered from last time, and standing in front of the safe was none other than Kaneshiro himself.

"Damn it… he changed this entire room already!?" Toya looked towards Makoto, who was staring in shock. How did he do this so quickly? It didn't even seem possible.

"Greetings. Welcome to my private city bank." Kaneshiro stepped forward, greeting the two of them. "I'm surprised you two made it here alive. It seems you are quite lucky."

"Lucky? Don't be ridiculous." Makoto stepped forward, clenching her fists as a fierce determination burned in her eyes.

"You're gonna pay, for everything you've done! All the lives you're trampled upon… we're going to avenge all of them!"

"Those in power work the ones below them to the bone for money. Such is the hierarchy of the world. Just accept your fate as a source of my wealth!"

"Shut up already, fatass!" Toya stepped forward, the anger visible in his eyes. "Who gives a damn about your idea of a hierarchy!? There are real lives you're messing with!" The more he heard Kaneshiro speak, the angrier he got. Everything about him was absolutely repulsive.

"All of that was forced on me too, you know!? I went through shit until I crawled my way out of the dregs! Now it's my turn to profit on everyone else!"

"What a pitiful man."

"It doesn't matter whether you're clean or dirty! Only the clever come out on top! The strong and the smart devour the weak. That is the natural order of things. You damn brats who think you know the world through the shit you read online will make the perfect prey."

"Hmph. He is utterly hopeless."

"It's always the fools who get tricked! Fools who have to pay for their foolishness. And if those fools don't learn, they have to suck it up and stay as plain, stupid fools!"

"Do you _ever_ shut up!? I've heard enough of your damn babbling!" Toya's anger spiked even higher, as was Makoto's. Even hearing this made them sick to their stomach…

"I guess there's not much point saying anything to you fools! This is where my gracious lecture ends. Now then, I hope you're ready to work as slaves here for the rest of your lives."

"Slaves? Like you wanted to do to my sister!? You're out of your damn mind!"

"I'm gonna swarm all over you… and squeeze out every last penny!" Suddenly, Kaneshiro's arms fell to his sides, and his body began to violently twitch from side to side. He spit up some kind of dark blood, and began to rub his hands together. As he did, his entire body turned dark and red for a brief moment, as wings suddenly popped out of him. He continued rubbing his hands together, until he finally stopped and looked up. His eyes were… like an insect, in a way. He pressed his fist against his chest, still managing to look as condescending as ever- even with those ridiculous eyes. "I can take care of this myself. Wassup yo!? Now come get some!" Toya and Makoto stepped forward, seeing this new form of Kaneshiro only pissed them off even more.

"You filthy fly on dirty money… Get the hell out of my face!"

"Gyahahahaha! Aight, here we go, yeh pieces of shit!" With their weapons materializing and resolve burning in their eyes, Toya and Makoto prepared themself, raring to take on their biggest challenge yet- Kaneshiro himself. "Hehehehe! Bein' young is such a crime! They're naive, they're reckless, and on top of that, they don't even realize how stupid they are. Now i couldn't just sit back and not cash in on those idiots, right?"

"I've heard enough of your damn voice already!" Toya charged straight in towards Kaneshiro, not willing to waste anymore time. With Makoto right behind him, they went on the offensive, attacking Kaneshiro relentlessly. One at a time, they'd take turns attacking him, trying to put him down quickly. However, they were only really able to knock him around, it didn't seem like they were doing much damage to him.

"Yo-yo-yo, that doesn't hurt a bit, yo! Your fierce attacks are like a handful of thumbtacks!" Kaneshiro's taunting was getting to Makoto. Toya was able to slightly keep his cool, but even still, he was struggling to keep his composure. Every time he heard Kaneshiro's voice, he just wanted to attack him again. As for Makoto, she was completely furious. She ripped off her mask and summoned Johanna, driving forward and ramming into Kaneshiro directly. Kaneshiro was sent flying back, finally seeming to have taken damage. Seeing an opportunity, Toya ripped off his mask, summoning Diabolos. Diabolos's arms morphed and fired bullets straight towards Kaneshiro, making direct contact and fully pushing him against the safe behind him.

"Let's end this, Queen!"

"Right!" Toya and Makoto charged forward, not giving Kaneshiro a chance to regain balance as they landed blow after blow on him, relentlessly assaulting him before making him fall to the floor. Toya and Makoto finally stopped attacking him, standing in front of him and looking down at his bruised body.

"It's just like I said, Kaneshiro. You're weak. You're weak in the real world- and you're weak here."

"Tch… Yeh punks're really pissin' me off…! Looks like I gotta bring out my big guns…!" Kaneshiro began laughing, as he slowly got up on his own two feet, a condescending look still in his face. "Here he is… My guardian robot!" Kaneshiro turned around and waves his hand around, before suddenly, the safe opened up. Kaneshiro quickly flew inside, the safe closing behind him as the wall around the previously open hole shifted to the sides of the room, revealing a giant robot shaped like… a pig, of all things. "Gyahahahahaha! Yeh ready to die!?"

"What the hell is that…!?" Makoto stepped back, staring in shock at the giant robot in front of her and Toya. "Is that… a pig…?"

"It ain't a pig, yo! This is my Palace's swine-model defensive mechanoid, Piggytron! Goin' against me's a real bad crime, yeh know? It's time for yeh all to go to hell!"

"Where the hell does he come up with this!?" Toya's eyes widened in shock as he stared down the giant robot in front of them. It was the size of the entire room… it was terrifying, in a way. Despite it looking like a giant steel pig, there was no way to tell just how dangerous it really was. As Toya and Makoto stared it down, they suddenly saw the two eye-shaped machines near the top of the machine recede back into it, suddenly turning into guns.

"Get on, quick!" Toya looked to his side and saw Makoto back on top of Johanna. He quickly jumped on behind her and the two drove around the room, avoiding the gunfire. They could hear Kaneshiro laughing maniacally as Makoto drove around the room in a hurry, desperately trying to dodge the storm of bullets.

"Cry all yeh want, but I ain't gonna forgive yeh for all you've done!" Toya looked at the giant robot and watched something come out of the very top of it. Before he had time to consider what it could be, several missiles came flying out of the machine, flying right towards them. Toya quickly pulled out his blade, aiming at the missiles and opening fire, shooting the missiles out of the sky while Makoto tried creating more distance.

"This bastard… where the hell did he come up with this!?" Toya continued firing at the missiles that were coming towards them- but it wasn't going to work forever.

"Wait, Hazard. I have an idea…"

"Huh? What is it?"

"We might not be able to get attacks off on the robot… but I think we can redirect those missiles into it."

"That's insane, but… it just might work." They nodded at each other, before Kaneshiro suddenly fired another wave of missiles at the two of them. Makoto revved up her Persona, before speeding around the room, getting the missiles to follow her. Kaneshiro didn't even seem to notice, he was so caught up gloating about his robot that he didn't even realize what they were doing. Makoto kept driving around, until finally getting behind the giant robot. Within a few moments, the missiles made direct contact with the robot, several explosions going off, the entire room shaking around them. The robot wasn't destroyed, but it took severe damage from the missiles. Makoto drove back around, stopping in front of it and putting her mask back on, standing on her own two feet again with Toya right beside her. Kaneshiro opened up his robot and flew out again, getting on top of it.

"Yeh punks're really pissin' me off! Yeh called my Piggytron a pig earlier, right? Were yeh talkin' about me too when you said that? If you were… Imma tear yeh all to shreds! Go, Piggytron! Super VIP Fooorm!" Kaneshiro floated in the air for a moment, before the robot beneath him suddenly morphed. Everything that was sticking out of its base receded back inside, and all that was left was a massive ball of steel. Kaneshiro landed on top and started rolling the ball in place.

"What the hell… is he gonna try running us over!?"

"Whatever he's doing, we can't stand here and wait to find out!" Makoto didn't even have time to call her Persona back out. Suddenly, Piggytron was charging right towards the two of them.

"Watch out!" Toya suddenly jumped towards Makoto, pushing her aside and causing her to fall to the floor, Toya landing on top of her. The two of them just barely got out of Piggytron's way as it rolled past them, trying to get back on their feet again.

"How's this!? Can't even speak 'cause of how scary my Piggytron is, huh? Gyahahahaha!" Piggytron's receded limbs slowly came back out from inside of it, as it landed on its feet. Kaneshiro laughed as a hole opened in front of the robot, with Kaneshiro flying back inside of it. He began laughing maniacally once again as soon as he got inside, as Piggytron's legs receded back into it once again, quickly rising into the air. "I'm not gonna let yeh punks survive!" Suddenly, the giant robot slammed back into the ground, creating a massive shockwave. Toya and Makoto hadn't yet regained their balance, so they weren't able to avoid it. They were sent flying across the room, unable to do anything to stop it. "Gyahahahahahahaha! Yeh punks made a big mistake going against me! It's time to die!" Toya and Makoto both looked up, seeing missiles coming out from the robot, and flying right towards them.

"_Please… help…"_

There it is again…

"_The only one… potential…"_

What does this voice mean…?

"_Save The… untimely demise…"_

Save someone… that was it. Hearing those words was the motivation Toya needed. He wasn't alone anymore- he had someone to protect now. Makoto was capable on her own, but she was still Toya's partner. He couldn't let her down, and especially couldn't let her get hurt. He wouldn't let someone else get hurt, or even die… he couldn't watch that happen again. Toya quickly got on his own two feet, ripping his mask off and quickly summoning his Persona and commanding it to attack. Diabolos quickly opened fire, shooting at every single missile at once, causing massive explosions to fill the air. Using the smoke as cover, Toya made his way towards Makoto, helping her get back on her own two feet.

"I don't think we're gonna be able to redirect missiles into it anymore…"

"No, we won't. But… I think I have a plan." Toya began whispering something into Makoto's ear, as Kaneshiro attempted to look through the smoke, unable to see or hear the two of them. Opening his robot, he got on top of it as it began to recede into itself, turning into a ball shape. Kaneshiro began rolling the ball around, wanting to ensure that he finished them off.

"Gyahahahahahahaha! I win, yeh damn-" Kaneshiro's eyes widened as suddenly, he saw Johanna come out of the smoke, Makoto driving it and Toya standing on top of it. "What the hell!? How are yeh still able to go on!?" Kaneshiro panicked, and in his confused state of mind, he instinctively began to roll the ball faster, wanting to finish the fight off instantly. He stared at the two of them closely, as suddenly, Toya pulled his hookshot out, aiming towards Kaneshiro. He grabbed Makoto's hand and fired, making direct contact with Kaneshiro's leg and pulling both him and Makoto up towards him. Kaneshiro screamed in pain as he felt the metal hook penetrate his leg, but when we looked for the two of them again, he suddenly saw Toya closing in on him. Mustering up all of his strength, Toya gripped Makoto's hand tighter, and threw her towards Kaneshiro. She got right up in his face and landed a punch directly in his gut, before he grabbed Kaneshiro by the head and threw him off the robot. Once he made contact with the ground, Kaneshiro looked up at the top of his robot, only to see Toya and Makoto standing on top of it, rolling the ball much faster than he ever could. He tried to fly up, but after taking so much damage, his wings didn't even have the strength to carry him. He watched in fear as Toya and Makoto rolled the ball forward, right into Kaneshiro and crushing him. Toya and Makoto looked at each other and jumped off, staring at Piggytron as they channeled the strongest attack their possibly could.

"**PERSONA!" **The two of them yelled, as they unleashed their strongest attacks. After taking a massive blast of both dark and nuclear energy, Piggytron began exploding, crumbling to the floor. With that final attack, the fight was finally over, Toya and Makoto emerging victorious. Once the two of them landed on the floor, their gaze immediately went towards Kaneshiro, who was desperately crawling towards Piggytron, a singular gold bar falling out of it.

"It's gone… only one gold bar is left…"

"Kaneshiro…!"

"I'm not gonna let anyone have it… This is my last bit of money…"

"You stole it from innocent people!"

"You didn't deserve to have that money in the first place, you bastard!"

"You're right… I'm a poor, ugly… idiot… How am I supposed to live a normal life like this…? It's all because of our society! Weak people can't lead a happy life, no matter what they do! I'm a victim of this too, you know!? Yeah, none of this is my fault!"

"Are you out of your mind? All you've done is continue a horrible cycle! How is anyone to blame except for you!?"

"I just wanted a place where I could belong! You get that, don't you!?"

"You think people are born with that! Everyone spends their life looking for a place for them to belong. I haven't even found one yet, and you don't see me stealing from people weaker than me!"

"But don't worry. You'll finally have a place you belong. Somewhere you can make amends, for the rest of your life."

"Your distorted desires… We're taking them. You can live with whatever's left of you after that." Kaneshiro slowly got up, sitting atop of the singular gold bar he had left.

"Seriously? You two don't have any tact. Especially with that incredible power… These Palaces could net ou loads of cash! You could do whatever you wanted to people's hearts!"

"Hell no! We'll never be like that!"

"Where do you find meaning in that naive sense of justice…? You know, there's already someone out there taking full advantage of what Palaces have to offer…" Toya stepped back for a moment. Someone taking advantage of Palaces…?

"What…?" Makoto's stern gaze slowly faded, and transformed into a look of confusion, and concern.

"I'll let you in on a little something… There's a criminal using other people's Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don't care about consequences. Psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns… Anything goes."

"Someone is causing psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… by using the Metaverse…?" Toya questioned things for a moment, before regaining his composure, stomping his foot on the ground. "Who are they!?"

"You know, I thought it was you, when I first laid eyes on you here…" Kaneshiro began laughing, eyeing Toya up and down. "But no. You may have a black mask like they do… but you are nothing compared to them. Better be careful… A chance encounter with them could prove fatal…" With those final words, Kaneshiro's Shadow vanished into a ray of light, and disappeared, returning to Kaneshiro's real self. Suddenly, the entire Palace began to shake. It was finally crumbling apart, now that Kaneshiro's Shadow was finally gone.

"We're out of time!" Toya quickly ran over to the gold bar Kaneshiro was sitting on, picking it up. "Get your Persona out and let's get out of here!" Makoto nodded, ripping her mask off one final time and summoning her Persona. The two of them got on, Toya still holding on to the gold bar as tightly as he could, as they drove out of the Palace.


	17. Consequences

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya**

After the two of them raced out of Kaneshiro's Palace, Toya and Makoto found themselves in Shibuya, in the middle of a crowd after barely making it out. There were a few people that had noticed them, but they were mostly focused on the shiny gold briefcase Toya was holding.

"Are you alright?" Toya slowly made his way towards Makoto, both of them in pain after the crash landing, but still able to move.

"Yeah… I think I'm alright… Wait, what's that?" Makoto's gaze shifted towards the briefcase in Toya's hand. He quickly looked at his hand, not realizing he had it in the first place.

"Wait… is this Kaneshiro's…?" Toya looked around and noticed the people that were staring at them, realizing he had to keep his mouth shut. "We should probably have this conversation somewhere else…" Makoto slowly looked around, feeling embarrassed as she suddenly noticed everyone staring at them. "Let's open this up somewhere people won't stare at us. My house is only a few minutes away, so just follow me."

"Your house…? Uh, right!" Makoto followed Toya as they made their way to his place, trying to break the gaze of everyone who was staring.

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - LeBlanc**

RYUJI: Holy shit…

RYUJI: Have you guys seen the news!?

ANN: I'm honestly impressed you know what channel the news is on.

YUSUKE: I must agree.

RYUJI: Oh, shut up!

RYUJI: Just get to Shibuya, this is something you guys need to see!

ANN: I don't know…

ANN: Are we sure this isn't a prank? There's no way Ryuji knows what channel the news is on.

RYUJI:

YUSUKE: It seems Ryuji's been typing for a while.

ANN: I knew it was a prank!

AKIRA: We should probably go anyways. I doubt it's a prank.

ANN: Oh, fine…

RYUJI: I knew you'd believe in me, man!

AKIRA: I'm sure he just saw the news because his mom was watching it anyways.

RYUJI: …

YUSUKE: I believe the same could be possible as well.

YUSUKE: Very well, let us go.

ANN: Got it!

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shinjuku**

"An update on the incident in Shibuya- a security camera has found the person who placed calling cards directed to someone named Junya Kaneshiro all over the city early this morning. We have no good means of identifying who this may be, but it would appear as if the suspect was wearing a purple bandana, with red eyes. Everything else about this person seems to be a mystery, but we have absolute faith that we will figure out who exactly this is." Ken looked towards the screen that was displaying the news for a moment. Junya Kaneshiro… he was very aware of who that is. He took a long, deep sigh, and made his made his way to the train station, suddenly feeling a vibration in his pocket.

AKECHI: The Phantom Thieves are active once again…

AKECHI: Do you have any thoughts?

Ken stared at his phone for a moment. He _did_ have a thought, a thought that he wasn't particularly fond of.

* * *

_Ken: "I want you to try and look around the school, and see if you can dig anything up about someone named Junya Kaneshiro._

_Toya: "You have his name? Is that enough to take him down?"_

_Ken: "Not quite. We don't have any concrete evidence, so we'd fail in court. If we had a confession, then we'd be completely fine…"_

* * *

Surely, this couldn't be a coincidence. Ken told Toya about Kaneshiro, and not even a month later, there are calling cards all over the city directed to him. Not to mention, Ken vividly remembers how into his training Toya was, just for the sake of it. He got shady vibes from his brother already, but this… this was basically confirmation of suspicions. His own brother… a Phantom Thief. He took another look at his phone, staring blankly at it before finally responding.

KEN: I wish I had more to go off of.

KEN: However, you can get a purple bandana nearly anywhere in Tokyo.

KEN: Not to mention… I know plenty of people with red eyes. Accusing anyone right now would simply be grasping at straws.

AKECHI: I guess you're right...

AKECHI: Phantom Thieves… Just who are they…?

KEN: Nobody knows, Akechi. But we're gonna find out.

AKECHI: I'm sure we will. I'll tell you if I find any information.

KEN: Got it. I'll see you soon, Akechi.

He put his phone away, going down into the subway station. He knew exactly where he had to go now- exactly who he had to go see. He wasn't necessarily looking forward to it, but he had no choice in the matter. He had to confirm his suspicion… then he could figure out what to do.

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya **

With the entire group arriving in Shibuya, they stood in shock as they looked around the city. Everywhere they looked, there were red calling cards scattered, with the logo of the Phantom Thieves all over them.

"Holy shit… it's even crazier in person…" Ryuji couldn't take his eyes off of it. He just stood there next to his team, staring in complete horror.

"They're… everywhere… how is this even possible…!?" Ann stepped back for a moment, feeling absolute terror overwhelm her.

"My design was stolen… and our name was stolen…" Yusuke suddenly thought of Madarame, who had spent his entire career plagiarizing. This was the same thing, and it triggered a certain PTSD in his head. He couldn't process it, he could just feel fear, as he held one of the calling cards in his hands.

"You're telling me that while we spent our time training and completing requests in Mementos… someone's gone through an entire Palace on their own… of someone named Kaneshiro...?" Morgana looked towards down to Akira's hands, and noticed that his phone was out. He watched as Akira opened the Nav app, and typed in Kaneshiro's name.

"The destination has been deleted." Everyone's eyes turned to Akira, their leader. They all trusted him and his judgement, but this… this was something that maybe he couldn't even fix. While everyone else stepped back in horror, Akira stepped forward, looking at the city as a whole. The workers scrambling to clean up the sea of calling cards, the citizens staring in panic… it was a terrifying sight.

"Our name is out there now." Akira put his phone away, sighing before turning to face the rest of his team. "No matter how we put it… this happened. We can't pretend like it didn't happen… we're much better off taking credit for the outcome.

"Take credit for it…? Wait, so we're going to just pretend like we did it!?" Ryuji was beyond confused. Pretending like they were the ones to do it… that was outrageous to him.

"To the general public, yes. Imagine what would happen if the general public knew that there was another team of Phantom Thieves besides us… the world would be in absolute chaos. We can't let that happen." Akira stepped towards his team, looking at all of them. "They can believe we did this… while we find out who it _really_ was."

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

"Did you just… guess the lock combination…?" Toya looked at Makoto in shock, as she held the golden briefcase in her hands.

"Well, it's not really a guess. I saw him open this thing up so many times, I just kinda remembered the code by now."

"That's… kind of impressive, actually. Come on, let's open this thing up." Toya sat next to Makoto as she slowly opened the briefcase, only to be met with… disappointment. "Um…"

"I wasted 10 minutes trying to open this briefcase… just for it to be empty…?" Toya hung his head, completely disappointed in this outcome.

"Well… I mean, it's not all bad. The case itself still has some value to it, doesn't it?"

"I guess…" Toya sighed, picking up the case and putting it in his closet. "Let's sell it another day. Besides… we accomplished plenty today, right?"

"That reminds me… when will we see actual results? Is a change of heart instant?"

"Well… I think there are some layers to it. Do you remember when Madarame confessed to his crimes?"

"Yeah, I remember. Why?"

"The Phantom Thieves stole his treasure about 2 weeks prior. In Kamoshida's case, it took only about a week. I guess it varies based on the person."

"Hopefully we don't have to wait too long. I'm still kinda nervous about this…"

"I have faith. After everything we went through, surely _something_ has to be different, right?" Toya and Makoto nodded towards each other, simply staring for a moment. Their work was finally done, and for the first time in a long time, they were able to relax, even if they were still somewhat nervous.

"You've barely been here for two months and you're _already_ bringing a girl into your bedroom?" Their very slight moment of peace ended even earlier than they expected, as they turned around to see a man standing in the doorway.

"JESUS, Ken! What have I told you about sneaking up on me like that!?"

"I'm your brother, and only legal guardian. I have the right to sneak up on you, Toya."

"Wait, that's… your brother…?" Makoto was still in shock, and genuinely speechless. This was her first time meeting Ken… to her memory, at least. For some reason, he seemed familiar… just like how Toya did.

"To think… you're bringing Sae Niijima's little sister to your bedroom. You're something else, you know that?"

"It's not like that! She's just-" Toya stopped for a moment. He didn't actually have a way to explain why Makoto was in his room. It's not like he could tell him the truth, after all.

"I-I was just helping him study!"

"Studying, huh…? Without a single book in sight?" Toya and Makoto stood there awkwardly for a moment. All of their excuses were used up now. "Well, I guess it's not my business. I wanted to bring Toya somewhere, so I'm gonna have to take him from you now."

"T-That's fine! I wanted to go home soon anyways…"

"Perfect." Toya and Makoto awkwardly stared at each other for a moment, before Makoto quickly left the room, heading back home. Ken stared at Toya for a moment, neither of them said a word. Ken paid close attention to the two of them, and most importantly, he paid attention to their eyes. Makoto's eyes… a dark shade of red, just like the person who was spreading calling cards all over Shibuya. Even an amateur detective could figure this out… Toya and Makoto were the Phantom Thieves. It was almost poetic, in a way. While Ken and Sae worked together on the legal side of things, their siblings were acting like vigilantes. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Are you actually gonna make me say it? We both know what I'm talking about." Ken sighed, pulling a calling card out of his pocket. "I'd read it out to you, but you already know everything that's written on it. Isn't that right?"

"...What do you want to know, then?"

"I already asked. How do you do it? How do you go about changing someone's heart?"

"It's… not easy to explain."

"Lucky for you, I've done my research. Tell me something… have you ever heard of a woman named Wakaba Isshiki?"

"Wakaba…? No, I've never heard of anyone named Wakaba. Who is that?"

"She was a scientist- an amazing one. Her most interesting discovery was something nobody else could ever get a grasp on, and it's information that both me and Sae have been trying to get our hands on for a while. I don't have the details, but I know what it was based off of."

"Well, what was it based off of?"

"It was based off of someone cognition." Toya's eyes widened for a moment, as he visibly shook. There was actual research on the cognitive world… that he didn't know about? "Judging by your response… you're familiar with the concept, aren't you?"

"I had no idea there was actual research on the matter…"

"So I was right. The Phantom Thieves don't change someone's heart… but rather, they overwrite their cognition. They fill them with guilt… and that guilt makes them confess to their crimes. That's what _you_ did to Kamoshida and Madarame… and now, it's what you're going to do to Kaneshiro."

"That's… only half right, Ken."

"Only… half right? What are you saying?"

"Your accusation of me and Makoto posting the calling card everywhere was correct. We did enter his cognition, and we did overwrite it. Kaneshiro has undergone a change of heart. That's all correct, but… there's one thing you got wrong." Toya sighed, looking down for a moment. He couldn't avoid telling his brother the truth- not anymore. "I didn't do a thing to Kamoshida- or Madarame."

"What…? What are you trying to say?"

"We sent a calling card and said we were the Phantom Thieves, but… that was a lie. In reality, we aren't the real Phantom Thieves. We just have access to the cognitive world- just as they do." Ken took a step back. Everything he thought was correct. His entire basis for this theory of his was correct, and now he learns that, in reality… he's only found half of the real answer? "Me and Makoto went after Kaneshiro because he was targeting students at our school. The police couldn't legally touch him. However, when it comes to people like Kamoshida, or Madarame… they're different. Their crimes just hadn't been proven yet… and they weren't immune to the police. When it comes to Kaneshiro, though… circumstances were different. That's why I had no problem going into his cognition and changing his heart. So if you came here looking for the people who forced Kamoshida and Madarame to confess to crimes that nobody else knew of, then…" Toya sighed, before looking at his brother right in his eyes. He wasn't nervous anymore, rather, he had a certain determination to him. "You're wasting your time." Ken didn't speak for a moment. He was lost in thought. He didn't know what to think anymore… he was wrong in his assumption.

"So, the Phantom Thieves… Do you know who they are?"

"No. The only thing about their identities that I'm sure of is that they attend Shujin Academy, just like me. As for who they are… I haven't the slightest clue." Toya focused. He had to make sure his posture didn't change even a little bit, otherwise Ken would know he was lying. While he wasn't a big fan of Ryuji after what happened, he didn't think the Phantom Thieves were evil… rather, Ryuji just seemed immature. He even judged Ryuji using his Persona, and he survived. This had to mean that he was still doing what he truthfully thought was right for the world… Toya didn't know for sure, but he had to trust that his gut instinct was correct.

"I see. If that's the case then…" Ken stopped for a moment. Even if he was wrong, he wasn't out of hope yet. He could accomplish his goal still, even if Toya wasn't the one who went after Kamoshida and Madarame. "There's someone I want you to look into. Someone who's heart I want you to change."

"You want me… to change someone's heart? Who?"

"The man I work for. Since he has so much power, the police can't even touch him, because they also work for him. He's the source of most of the corruption that's in the government…"

"I can look into him, but… I need his name. If I don't have his name, then I won't be able to enter his cognition. Do you have it."

"Yes. His name is Genkei Ishida."

"Genkei Ishida…? I've never heard of anyone with that name before. Who is he?"

"I'm not surprised you've never heard of him. Nobody really calls him by his name due to his power. As I said, he's the person I work under. After all, he's the director of the SIU."


	18. Bond

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

"The director of the SIU…? As in, the Special Investigation Unit? You want me to go after the director of _that?!_"

"You can, can't you?" Toya looked at his brother for a moment, before pulling out his phone, opening the Metaverse Navigator and typing in Genkei Ishida.

"Match found." Ken stepped back for a moment, his eyes widening from the sudden voice.

"What was that…!?"

"It's called the Metaverse Navigator. To put it simply, it allows me to enter someone's cognitive world- but only if they have distorted desires. Now that we have his name, we can almost enter his cognition."

"Almost? What else do you need?"

"We need two more things. We need a location, and how his cognition perceives it."

"A location, and how they perceive it…" Ken looked down for a moment, closing his eyes and thinking of what this could mean. "What were Kaneshiro's?"

"Kaneshiro's location was… Shibuya as a whole. He perceived it as a bank."

"He thought of the entire city as his bank!?"

"I don't think Ishida's will be the entire city. Instead…" Toya looked back to his phone, typing something in to the app once more.

"Match found."

"Let me guess. The SIU building?"

"Yeah. The only thing we don't have is what his mind perceives it as…"

"Leave that to me. I'll start investigating him and try to figure out what it is. For now though, Sae wants me to investigate something again." Ken sighed, slowly turning around and walking away.

"Again? What do you mean by again?"

"You remember when I mentioned that there's research of the cognitive world? Well, we know who has it, a man named Sojiro Sakura. The problem is trying to get him to give it up. Sae wants me to find something that can be used to blackmail him, but… that seems wrong to me."

"Are you still going to do it?"

"I'll go there, but… I don't think I'm gonna look for blackmail. There's only one thing we have on him, but… blackmailing him over it is wrong, on all moral levels."

"What is it?"

"Well…" Ken sighed again, walking further into the room and sitting down next to Toya. "Wakaba is dead. She died in a… strange way, to say the least. It seems like a suicide, but there are a lot of questions around it. There's nothing we can really draw from it though. However, the issue lies in the fact that… Wakaba had a daughter, named Futaba. When she died, the man who now has Wakaba's research took Futaba in. However, Futaba is… a shut-in, to say the very least. It's much more than just being shy though, it's… unhealthy at this point. Sae suggested that we push the blame for this on her new guardian, and use it as a way to get Wakaba's research, but…that doesn't sit right with me."

"I can't blame you. I wouldn't wanna do that either. I mean… Futaba's probably the way she is due to her mother's death. We both know how troubling it can be when a parent dies, after all…" Toya looked away, remembering his father. Ken didn't have a great bond with his father, but… he had one with his mother. Toya hardly knew his mother due to her dying when he was too young to remember, but… he knew that it affected Ken. "Where can you find the guy who has the research, anyways?"

"Remember that coffee place I told you about a few weeks ago? He's the guy who owns it."

"I see… Let me come with you. I need to relax, after everything that happened today."

"Sure. It's in Yongen-Jaya, so we'll have to get there by car."

"That's fine. Oh, but before we go, can we make a stop somewhere? There's something I need to buy."

**June 26th, 20xx (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Niijima Household**

Finally getting home, Makoto took a deep breath. She was terrified of Toya's brother suddenly barging in on them. She quickly took out her phone, opening her messages with Toya.

MAKOTO: Did everything turn out okay?

MAKOTO: I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly…

TOYA: It's fine, don't worry about that.

TOYA: You probably guessed, but Ken figured out that we're the ones who changed Kaneshiro's heart.

TOYA: But… I don't think he has a problem with it.

MAKOTO: He's okay with it…?

TOYA: I told him that we're not the actual Phantom Thieves. He understands why we took down Kaneshiro. There's just… one thing.

MAKOTO: What is it?

TOYA: He wants us to change someone's heart. That being… the SIU Director.

MAKOTO: The SIU Director!? Can we even do that…?

TOYA: He has a Palace, I already checked. All we need to know is what his cognition sees the SIU building as.

MAKOTO: I see…

MAKOTO: Do you have any idea what it could be?

TOYA: Ken is gonna look into it. Until then, we're just normal teenagers, I guess.

MAKOTO: I know I brought it up as an excuse earlier, but we do need to study. Exams are coming up in a few weeks, after all.

TOYA: I'm fairly confident in my grades. I'll start putting more time into studies sometime this week. I can't today though, Ken is taking me to a coffee place right now.

MAKOTO: That's alright.

MAKOTO: There's… something I wanted to ask you.

TOYA: What's up?

MAKOTO: There's somewhere I'd like to go soon. I was going to ask you today, but we can go another time, if that works better for you.

TOYA: I'm free after school tomorrow. Where did you want to go?

MAKOTO: I actually wanted to go to the red light district in Shinjuku. But, going there alone sounds like… a bad idea.

MAKOTO: Do you think you could take me?

TOYA: I'm not too familiar with the area myself. I've been to Shinjuku once or twice, but I don't have many memories of it.

TOYA: I don't mind going there with you though.

MAKOTO: Thank you!

MAKOTO: I'll remind you after school tomorrow, then.

TOYA: Sounds good.

TOYA: We're getting out of the car now, so I'll see you tomorrow.

MAKOTO: See you.

June 26th, 20XX

Evening - Leblanc

"This is the place." The two brothers stood outside the coffee place. It had a nice atmosphere around it, almost… calming, in a way. "By the way, why'd you want to pick up contacts?"

"Makoto recommended it. I was gonna be the one who spread the calling card this morning, but she figured that some people would be able to figure out it's me since nobody else really has purple eyes. Besides, I'm still sure that the Phantom Thieves attend Shujin. If we formed some kind of rivalry and they figured out my identity first… well, I'm not sure how things could go."

"I see. Well, that makes enough sense. Let's go inside." Toya nodded, as the two entered the cafe. The atmosphere inside was… rather calming. Toya looked around, it was a pretty small place overall, but that helped the atmosphere, in a way.

"You again…" Toya and Ken looked towards a man who was standing behind the counter, who Toya presumed to be Sojiro. He had a curious look on his face, staring at Ken, then at Toya. "Who's this?"

"This is my brother, Toya. Don't worry, we're not here to interrogate you. Just for the coffee."

"Well, I won't complain about customers. Have a seat." They sat down next to each other, before hearing the sound of people talking upstairs. Toya shivered in his seat for a moment. Those voices… they sounded familiar. The Phantom Thieves… in the attic of some random coffee shop? That made no sense, but… Toya couldn't mistake those voices… especially not Ryuji's. He was sure without a single doubt that he was listening to the voices of the Phantom Thieves right now. He wanted to pay more attention to them, but that was impossible to do without making it obvious he was eavesdropping. He had to just stay calm- they wouldn't be able to recognize him anyways. The only feature of his that stood out from others was his eyes, and since he had them concealed, he was practically invisible to society. Toya and Ken sat and drank their coffee, while Ken held a conversation with Sojiro. The talk was fairly bland for the most part, the two of them talking about work and whatnot, until Ken had to use the bathroom. A few moments after he did, the TV suddenly played something that Toya had interest in.

"More on the incident in Shibuya, the suspect has still not been identified. The calling cards have all been taken down, however, we still don't know the identity of a 'Junya Kaneshiro'. If anyone has information, please report it to us at…"

"More talk about this, huh…?" Sojiro looked away from the screen, sighing. "Placing calling cards all over the city… they've got to be insane."

"They're definitely extreme, there's no doubt about that. I wonder what they're actually trying to accomplish..." Toya spoke for the first time. He was willing to talk more, but… hearing the Phantom Thieves upstairs made him nervous.

"I just hope that kid doesn't get involved. He's got enough trouble as it is…"

"Hm? What kid?"

"I'm currently the guardian of a kid with a criminal record- one around your age. I told him to keep his head down and not get into any trouble, but I doubt he's actually listening. The crowd he's with is… questionable, at best."

"Why's that?"

"They seem like they have some manners, but I got a call from the school not too long ago. One of the kids he's hanging around with is known as a complete delinquent, and the other is a pupil of that artist Madarame who got his heart changed. He doesn't even attend the same school as far as I know…" Toya took a sip of his drink as he processed what Sojiro said. He was able to deduce that the person he took in was Akira, and it seemed like he was oblivious to the true identities of the Phantom Thieves.

"Would you rather he didn't socialize at all?"

"It's for the best. He's causing me enough trouble as it is." There was a certain anger in his voice now. Sojiro took out a cigarette and began to light it, as Toya took out his phone. Moments later, he heard footsteps coming from his left, and they weren't coming from the bathroom… rather, they came from the staircase next to it. He shivered for a moment, as coming from the attic came the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji's face screamed annoyance, as did Ann's. Yusuke's face, however… it was filled with doubt. Ryuji and Ann made their way out of the shop, with Akira and Yusuke staying behind.

"Sorry… I might need to stay a bit longer. I fear as if my emotions are getting the best of me." Yusuke's expression was… almost depressing, in a strange way. He took a seat and held his head down. Akira looked towards Sojiro, and Sojiro sighed.

"You can head upstairs, I'll take care of it." Akira nodded in response, and walked up. Sojiro started brewing a cup of coffee for Yusuke, as Toya put his phone away for a moment. Yusuke's expression just got worse and worse… he didn't want to get involved, but at the same time… it just felt wrong not to.

"Sorry if I'm intruding on personal business, but… is there something bothering you? You look awfully down."

"It's that obvious, is it? I suppose there's no use hiding an emotion as ugly as this…"

"What happened to make you feel this bad?"

"Well… throughout my entire life, there was only one man I had ever looked up to, that being Madarame. I thought his work was spectacular, but… somewhere deep inside of my heart, I knew that he was doing things that were… shameful, to say the very least. However, he was the one who painted the Sayuri, the painting that touched my very soul… or at least, that's what I thought, until I learned the truth…"

"Madarame, huh… I heard about him. He's the one who confessed his crimes after he was sent a calling card from the Phantom Thieves, was he not?"

"Yes, he was. Since then, my opinion of him has… deteriorated, to say the very least." Sojiro finished brewing a cup of coffee, leaving it in front of Yusuke. He took a big sip of it, as if it would drown out his sorrow, but to no avail. "The very concept of plagiarism has haunted my dreams since that day… and now, it seems as if someone is plagiarizing my work, as well. Is this truly what the art world is…?" Yusuke looked down. Toya felt absolutely awful listening to this, knowing fully well what he was talking about. Yusuke's feelings were entirely because of the calling card that was spread around… that was definitely his design. Toya and Makoto stole it from him… and this devastated him to his very core. "To tell the truth… I'm struggling in the art world. It's rather easy for an artist to starve, after all. To make things worse… it seems like the one who plagiarized my work is even getting more attention on it than I ever did. Not only will he take the credit, but even the reward…" Yusuke clenched his hand into a fist, slamming it into his own leg hard enough to make the chair he was sitting on shake a bit. "What am I supposed to do when the only ones who get noticed are the ones who put in the least amount of work!?"

"A true artist wouldn't care for the results." Yusuke suddenly froze up. He looked towards the person he was talking to, who was looking ahead and taking a sip of his drink, before turning to face him.

"What do you mean by that…?"

"Think about it for a moment. You didn't become an artist with the intention of being famous- did you?"

"Well, that's…"

"Nobody does that. The people who willingly put time and effort into art are the ones who don't care about if they're recognized or not. Rather… they create to convey something, and stir emotion in others."

"To stir emotion… in others?"

"Think of the Sayuri, the painting that you said touched your soul. Now, think to yourself… did the person who truly painted that intend for it to get them rich? Of course not. They wanted to convey something deep within people, similar to how they affected you. That's what a true artist strives for, not fame and fortune." Yusuke paused for a moment, and processed everything he was told. Then he smiled, and chuckled. His chuckle turned into a fully fledged laugh within a few moments.

"Yes, that's it! The true beauty of art… it seems I had forgotten it until you spoke to me just now. You have my eternal thanks." Yusuke's depressed expression… it was gone at this point. Rather, it was filled with hope, and a strong determination. It was a complete 180 from what happened earlier, but… Toya was happy about it nonetheless. "By the way… have we met somewhere before? You seem oddly familiar…" Toya internally screamed. There was only one place Yusuke could recognize him from… but he tried keeping his calm. After all, there was no way of really being able to tell where Yusuke knew him from.

"No, I don't believe we've ever met before."

"Really? Hm… I suppose I could just be remembering things wrong. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa. It truly is a pleasure to meet you." He held his hand out towards Toya, who slowly brought his hand up, shaking each other's hands and nodding.

"I'm Toya Kazero. I'm glad to have helped."


	19. Hunting the Truth

**June 26th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**The Velvet Room**

Suddenly, the atmosphere around Akira changed. The calming atmosphere around him was gone… it was replaced by something he couldn't really describe. His eyes jolted open as he noticed it, getting to his feet and approaching the iron bars in front of him, looking towards Igor, the man behind the desk. As he looked forward, however, he suddenly felt the iron bars he was holding onto shake.

"You really screwed this one up, Inmate!"

"Indeed. You've let someone steal your identity, and it has detoured your rehabilitation. You should be ashamed of yourself." Akira was used to Caroline and Justine giving him a hard time at this point. He disregarded what they said, simply sighing and continuing to look towards Igor.

"Now, now. This may seem rough on the surface, but I'm sure this will prove very interesting." Igor let out a deep, echoing laugh, as his long, body fingers rhythmically tapping against his desk. "This black masked Metaverse user… I am sure that overcoming them shall be vital for your rehabilitation. Do make sure that you confront them… and that you overcome them. That is the only way to ensure your rehabilitation." Akira nodded his head, understanding that what Igor said was valid. He had to put a stop to Hazard… there was no way of telling what he would do. But the question was… how do they possibly stop him? They had no idea who he was… even though they had a clue on his identity due to his eye color, that still wasn't enough. They needed more clues… no matter what it took.

**June 27th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shinjuku (Red-Light District)**

After a long, boring day of school, Toya and Makoto finally arrived in Shinjuku. It was huge… and rather crowded. People could be seen walking around everywhere, focused only on their own day to day life. That's what being an adult was like… as much as the two of them didn't like that.

"There are so many people here… I guess this really is the biggest red-light district in Asia, huh. Apparently this place was a hotbed for criminals and illegal immigrants before they installed surveillance cameras… I heard there were quite a few brothels as well." Makoto seemed knowledgeable about the area, which was… both expected and unexpected at the same time, in a way.

"You've never been here, yet you know so much about it… why is that?"

"Well, I heard a great deal about it from my father… He always told me it was too dangerous for me to come here though. However, over the years things have become far safer, so it should be fine to be here now. Of course, surveillance cameras played a part in that… but it was mainly thanks to the efforts of the police."

"Still… regardless of cameras and police, I imagine it's impossible to stop all forms of crime in an area that was so well known for it."

"Well… unfortunately, that's true. It seems the operations nowadays are much better hidden… however, seeing is believing, yes? Come on, let's have a look around. I'm sure you're interested to see what this place is like too, aren't you?"

"Definitely. My brother spends most of his time here in Shinjuku anyways… I'm sure he's been here a lot as well. I wonder just what it's like here…" The two of them began walking around the district. Makoto requested that they walked separately, but Toya made sure that he kept an eye on Makoto the entire time. It was a good thing he did, because countless men tried starting conversations with her… rather creepy ones at that. One grabbed Makoto's arm, but Toya made sure to run in to help her. Things got… a little rough, to be fair. Both Toya and Makoto were able to get away relatively unscathed though, which was all that really mattered to the two of them.

"Did we lose him…?"

"Yeah, I don't think he's gonna come after you anymore. But still… what a creep. To think that people like him just walk around the area like it's nothing…"

"He must have been a scout for a hostess club. He mentioned how 'his girls' get paid a lot to wear cute dresses… I just wanted to know if any Shujin students worked there… but he nearly dragged me inside. If you hadn't been there to rescue me, I…"

"Let's not dwell on what might have happened… besides, even if I wasn't there, I'm sure you could have defended yourself if it came down to it."

"Definitely. I thought I needed to knock him out there for a bit… but you seemed to have scared him off without getting anywhere near as violent. Even if he still got hurt in the process…"

"Well, I'm just glad I didn't have to get too serious about it. Besides, at worst he'll have a bruise. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I suppose… well, thank you regardless. It seems you have a knack for helping me out. I hope I can do the same for you someday…"

"Oh please, you already do plenty! Between advising me to get contacts and helping take down Kaneshiro… I'd say you've done more than your share of helping me." Toya and Makoto stared at each other for a moment, simply nodding and smiling. However… the moment passed rather quickly, when Makoto's gaze turned to a female behind Toya who was wearing a Shujin uniform. She walked down the street and down a flight of stairs, descending into a lower floor of a building.

"That was… I used to be in the same class as her! But why is she here…?"

"That place she entered… 'The After School Salon'... What kind of place is that?"

"I'm not sure… but it seems suspicious. I'll have to ask her about it. Would you mind being there too, as my witness?"

"Yeah, that's perfectly fine. When do you want to do this?"

"I'd like to do it as soon as possible… does tomorrow after school work for you?"

"Tomorrow? Yeah, I'll have enough time for that once classes are over. Just message me when you're ready, and I'll come by."

"Thank you… Well, we've spent quite a bit of time here. Let's head back to the station." The two nodded, as they started walking back towards the subway station, now ready to head home.

**June 27th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - SIU Building**

Ken knew fully well that he wasn't allowed to be in the SIU building whenever he wanted to be… but that didn't stop him. He had to figure out what was going on in Ishida's head. Surely he could figure it out if he studied him enough… he just had to make sure he wasn't seen. He stood outside of Ishida's office, staying out of sight and listening in on a conversation. Ishida was on the phone with someone, and he had no idea who he was talking to, or what they were saying. All he could hear was what Ishida said.

"Yes… I do believe that we have another option. I didn't want to resort to it, but his plan might be the only thing we have left. Make sure you tell him to have it ready soon." A plan…? What could Ishida possibly be planning? He was too vague… Ken needed more information, but he could stay around for long. He continued to listen in on the conversation, but there wasn't much else he was able to get. Nothing pointed towards a keyword that his cognitive world could be shaped as… he'd have to dedicate more days to this investigation. That was the only way he could find the right answer.

**June 28th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy (Student Council Room)**

Toya and Makoto say at a desk in the student council room, facing towards the female student who they saw in the red-light district yesterday, Eiko Takao. Makoto questioned her for a bit, but she was… rather scatterbrained. She even thought that Toya and Makoto were dating, which they both declined, even though they weren't convincing in the slightest. After a few minutes of back and forth conversation, Eiko ran off, saying she had to go to work.

"She was all over the place… Honestly though, I'm in shock. She thought I was a robot…" In the back of his head, Toya wanted to make a robot joke. He almost did but… that was probably a bad idea.

"Well, I didn't think you were a robot by any means, but you're surely a lot different from what I expected."

"I am…?" Makoto panned her head down. People really think she's just a stereotypical honors student… even one of the few friends she actually had. Then, suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think I can express in words how happy I am that I was wrong about you."

"What…?" Makoto suddenly lifted her head. She was sad for a moment, but now she was just… confused.

"You're an honors student, and also a class president. I thought you just devoted your life to studies and knew nothing else. But instead, you're a badass who knows martial arts. You even know how to ride a motorcycle… and we took down a literal mob boss together! So no, Makoto… you're not who I expected. Maybe there are people in this world like Eiko who are gonna think you're a robot at first glance, but… I know who you really are, deep down. And one day, I know other people will see that too."

"Do you… really think that…?"

"Absolutely. There's not a doubt in my mind that the world will see you for who you are, one day." For some reason… this was all Makoto really needed to hear for her confidence to be restored. She couldn't explain it, but she was still happy to hear it. They sat together for a few more moments, before deciding that it was finally time for them to go home. However… they decided that they didn't want to go straight home. It was too early for that, so instead, the two of them went to go see a movie together, a movie called "Like A Dragon". Toya couldn't really gather much about the movie from first glance, other than the fact that it was about the Yakuza. He enjoyed it, but nowhere near as much as Makoto was enjoying it. Her fists were clenched and she was leaning forward the entire time. The two walked out as the movie ended, holding up conversation on their way out, heading their separate ways.

**July 9th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya**

After a few hectic weeks, Toya's life had become a bit more normal. He was able to actually focus on school and studying for a bit, and he spent some time with Makoto as well. However, the thing he had loved the most was his training. That is- real world training, not Metaverse training. He was only really able to do it really early in the morning before school, but that was enough time for him. Besides, it helped him keep his sleep schedule in check, so it was a win-win for him. As he was training one morning, however, he suddenly got a phone call. He picked up his phone and looked at it, before stretching and answering.

"Not that I mind… but you're calling pretty early in the morning, don't you think, Makoto?"

"I'm sorry if I woke you up… but, it's important. Something has happened.

"What's going on?"

"Well… My sister and her team have taken Kaneshiro into custody. It appears they did not want him to… disappear, if you know what I mean."

"They actually got him…? But how? I thought the police couldn't touch him?"

"Well… I think it's because of us. He confessed to his crimes."

"Wait, he did!? So that means… the change of heart really worked?"

"It appears so. I was so nervous about how it might not work, but… this is proof that it's finally happened, right?"

"I think so. We actually did it… we took down a literal mob boss." Toya couldn't tell if he was more excited or surprised. He was sure that it was taking too long, but… this had to be because of their efforts.

"So… what's next? Are there any updates on the SIU director's Palace?

"Not yet. I know Ken is hard at work trying to figure it out… I'm sure that he will though. If anyone can do it… it's definitely him."

"I'll trust your judgement. Thank you." The two of them hung up, Toya getting back to his training. He had to believe in his brother… that was the only possible way they could figure out what Ishida's keyword was. He continued living his normal life, focusing on studying for the exams that would take place in the coming week.

**July 17th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - SIU Building**

Even though it had been weeks, Ken was still spying on Ishida. He was so close to figuring out the secret of Ishida's cognitive world… only then could Toya change his heart. He waited outside of his office, crouching down and listening in on a conversation. This time, however, he wasn't on the phone with someone. Rather, there was someone in his office, and judging by what he had heard as he was coming down the hall, it wasn't exactly a nice conversation.

"What do you mean you're having second thoughts!? You don't get those here, dammit!"

"But sir, I-"

"But nothing. You aren't entitled to an opinion, not in front of me." Ishida slammed down on his desk, his voice only getting more sinister. "You are nothing more than a worker here. Your place in this world is to work yourself to the bone for my riches. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, sir…"

"Good. Now go. Dig up more information and turn it into riches for me!" Ken paused for a moment, before realizing he had to get away. He quietly stepped away, being sure not to be seen or heard by the person who was in Ishida's office. He left the building and began walking towards the station, on his way home. As he was walking away, he kept playing back what Ishida said in his head. Digging up information… turning it into riches? Ken paused for a moment, before his eyes suddenly widened in shock. Working someone to the bone, having them dig things up to turn into riches… a mine! Was that it? The final keyword to enter Ishida's cognitive world… was "mine"? It sounded crazy, but… it made sense. He treated people as if they were nothing but workers, forcing them to get their hands dirty for his own personal gain… this had to be it. The missing word had to be mine. It took him longer than he wished, but he did it. He figured out what Ishida's final keyword was… and now, all he had to do was make his way home, and tell Toya in the morning. It was already so late… there's no way Toya would be awake now. He walked home, proud of himself for cracking the code. He did his part… now all he had to do was relay the information and let Toya handle the rest. He had to believe in his brother… it was the only way.

Back at the SIU building, Ishida was staring at a monitor. He watched security footage for a bit, before someone walked into his office.

"You called for me, sir?"

"Yes, yes I did. There's something we must discuss… something that could prove to be a problem."


	20. Another Self

**July 17th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

In the late hours of the night, where the general public slept to prepare themselves for another boring Monday, there was one person who roamed the street, one person who had something he could only accomplish under the veil of night- a young man named Goro Akechi. He pulled out his phone, calling someone.

"Are you sure that I have to do this…? I'm still not sure…"

"Nonsense. You saw the same thing I saw. This has to be done, whether you like it or not. Now, go. When I hear from you again, it better be done."

"...Right. I understand…" Akechi sighed, hanging up his phone and going to his home screen. He stared at a specific app… before opening it, typing in the word "Mementos" and closing his eyes. Within a few moments, he was in another world entirely- one much more distorted than the one world he lived in.

**July 17th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

Opening his eyes, he looked around him. His clothes were white, with a red mask on. He wouldn't have any reception now that he was in the Metaverse, but that was fine. He was able to take care of himself quite well in this world. He had only been to Mementos on specific occasions- only when it was absolutely necessary for him to go. However… he wasn't particularly complaining about that. He began his descent down, looking for his target. He ran into a few Shadows, but… they all cowered in fear, or ran away from him on sight. Some Shadows had tried to fight him before, but… it never worked out well for them. He didn't even break a sweat taking them down, he was much too powerful for that. It was rare that he even needed to call out a Persona to deal with them… but there were occasions where he did. He continued down, until suddenly, a few Shadows decided that they had more guts than the rest. They charged towards him together, trying to rush him down, but Akechi simply sighed in response. A beam sword appeared in his hands, as he quickly lunged forward. A quick stab to their heads was enough to finish them off instantly. He sighed, before continuing onward, descending down further into Mementos until suddenly, he saw a portal. This was it… this is where he had to go. He sighed, doubting things for a moment, before reluctantly jumping into the portal. He had no choice… this was the only way he could follow through with his original plan, the plan that kept him going all this time. Once he was on the other side, he saw only one thing: a middle aged man with a red aura emanating from his feet, and glowing, yellow eyes. Akechi stepped forward, approaching the Shadow that was shaped like an actual human.

"Hmph… yet another case easily solved. If it wasn't for me, this entire country would be doomed!

"To think you'd gloat so hard over something like this… even though it's truth is questionable at best."

"Don't be ridiculous! You can't possibly know what you're talking about compared to someone as genius as me!" Suddenly, the man melted into a puddle of black and red liquid, re-emerging as a large, blue skeletal figure, wearing a black robe, with a large sword, and a… mushroom on its head? It was a strange appearance for sure, but that wasn't the point. Akechi quickly charged forward. This was just another Shadow, so he should have no problem taking it down. Materializing his blade, he tried to slice through the Shadow's body instantly, but the Shadow quickly brought up it's own blade, deflecting the attack. Akechi grunted, and continued his attempts to slash and stab the Shadow, but it wasn't working. After blocking every single attack thrown, the Shadow began going on the offensive, pushing Akechi back. This was clearly no ordinary Shadow… it was much stronger than anything Akechi had fought before. Their blades clashes again, and they both tried pushing against each other. "You just don't know when to quit, do you!?"

"I'm not giving up. If taking you down is necessary for my revenge… then I shall!" Akechi began to push against the Shadow's blade harder, showing much more force than he did before. He had to do this… no matter what, he had to win. However, his added determination didn't close the power gap between the two. Try as he might, he was still weaker than this Shadow. He was pushed away, and as he regained his balance, he opened his eyes to see the Shadow charging up a powerful attack. With a roar, a giant wave of heat came from the Shadow, and it hit Akechi dead on. Akechi was sent flying back after such a devastating attack, his body disappearing into smoke after colliding with a wall. The Shadow stayed still, looking at the cloud of smoke before laughing.

"Come on! You came at me with such passion. Are you really going to fall over that easily?"

"Persona!" The Shadow heard something that was unexpected, before suddenly, a massive blast came out from the smoke. Since the Shadow was caught off guard, it took the full brunt of the attack, staggering back. This attack was much stronger than anything Akechi had done before, but it wasn't enough. The smoke had cleared, and the Shadow looked directly at Akechi, who had taken off his mask in the veil of smoke. Next to Akechi, there was a large, white figure with a bow and arrow. "Now, Robin Hood!" He took his ray gun, and fired at the Shadow once more, while his Persona launched another powerful attack. It pushed the Shadow back, but it was still standing.

"Is this really the extent of your power? Ha! You should have never come here if you're so weak!" The Shadow gripped it's sword tighter and let out another roar, before suddenly healing itself up. All of the wounds Akechi caused with his Persona were suddenly gone. This was looking really bad for him… he couldn't possibly win at this rate. He began trying to think of a strategy. Was he supposed to just outlast this Shadow? Was he faster? He stood still and was in complete thought, until suddenly he realized that the Shadow was charging up another attack. Before Akechi had time to defend himself, he was hit by a devastatingly strong attack, sending him flying back once more. Only this time… he couldn't use the smoke as a coverup. What was he going to do? There was… one answer. An answer that he didn't like at all. However, if he was going to win this, he would need to be much, much stronger. He thought about everything for a moment… everything that made him human. Until finally, he stood up, staring the Shadow directly in the eyes, panting and holding a fist to his chest, barely even able to stand. "Just give it up. After all, you should be honored to die by my hands!"

"Honor…?" Akechi stumbled in place, breathing heavier as he stared forward, a dark determination in his eyes. "Who cares about honor… who cares about justice…!?" He began walking forward, one hand on his mask as the other was still against his chest. "I set out on a mission… to avenge my mother by crushing my father. I told myself that I would watch my father's empire fall in front of him, before finally killing him. That very thought is what has driven me this far… and now you think you can get in the way of that goal…!?" Suddenly, the sound of bones crunching and twisting came from Akechi. The sound was sickly and disturbing… but nowhere near as creepy as the look plastered on Akechi's face. "If accomplishing my goal means throwing away the things that make me human… then so be it!" His eyes were bloodshot, and there was a twisted smile on his face. His voice was raspy and he was still struggling to stand, but he took his hand off of his chest, putting all of his strength into standing up straight for a moment. He gripped his mask tighter for a moment, before giving the Shadow a terrifying look. "Now… descend, **LOKI!**" He ripped his mask off, as he was engulfed in a bright, red flame. He was laughing maniacally as a tall, lanky figure with black and white stripes hovered above him. Akechi's figure was completely hidden, as he was covered by a red and black aura within the flame, before finally being revealed to the Shadow. The Shadow stepped back in fear, as he saw Akechi's transformation complete. The white outfit he wore previously was gone- and replaced with a black outfit with blue stripes, as well as a black mask. The only thing that could be seen was Akechi's twisted smile, as he stared through his mask at the Shadow. The man that the Shadow was fighting before was now gone… instead, there was a demon in front of him.

Akechi suddenly charged directly in, laughing maniacally as he slashed his sword at the Shadow. The Shadow just barely blocked the attack, and looked at Akechi. That twisted, menacing smile was still on his face. What _was_ he anymore…? Akechi was much faster now, and began to wildly slash away at the Shadow. The Shadow was barely able to defend himself, struggling to block the sudden relentless assault Akechi had displayed, until one attack managed to slip through his defenses. This attack made the Shadow stumble back, but Akechi didn't stop attacking. He kept slashing away, maniacally laughing as he finally had the advantage in battle. With a definitive strike, he was able to push the Shadow back, causing it to nearly fall on its feet, before regaining composure. As the Shadow looked back up though, it saw Akechi charging towards him again. However, there was much more distance this time. There was one way that the Shadow could still win… and the only chance was now. Holding up its sword, it began to charge a powerful attack, concentrating all of its energy before suddenly unleashing a massive attack with its sword, aimed right for Akechi. However… what the Shadow didn't see was that while it was staggering, Akechi put up a barrier, one that would repel any physical attack directed at him. Once the attack was unleashed, the Shadow felt the full force of it, sending itself flying through the room. But even though it was flying through the hair, Akechi still didn't stop pursuing. He ran through the room and summoned his Persona once more, relentlessly attacking before unleashing a powerful blast of fire magic, sending the Shadow to the ground and causing it to revert to its original form.

"That's… that's not possible… I'm the strongest…!" Now that it looked like a human again, it cowered in fear, as Akechi loomed above. "Wait… I recognize you…! You're… You're Akechi!?" The Shadow began trying to back away, still on the ground as looking at Akechi's mask with a desperate look on its face. "Akechi… Come on, you know me! You're not gonna do anything crazy-" The Shadow was cut off, as Akechi pulled his gun out, shooting right through its chest. Suddenly… he felt a thrill. He shot at the Shadow again, and got even more excited. He started to laugh maniacally, as he unloaded all of his ammo, mercilessly firing away without a single care in the world. After a few more rounds… the Shadow was so deformed, you wouldn't even be able to tell that it originally looked like a human. Moments later, it slowly dissipated, fading into nothingness. It was at that moment that Akechi's last bit of humanity was under the control of someone else. Everything in his life would now be dedicated to accomplishing his true goal… exacting his revenge on his father. This was the only way he could continue on anymore. He didn't even think of himself as Goro Akechi anymore… now, he was someone else. He was some_thing_ else. He was a psychopath… a murderer. But right now… he liked that. He took a while to calm himself down, before returning to the real world. He took out his phone call, making a phone call to the person he was talking to earlier.

"It's done."

"Good. That's all for today. You can go about your business now."

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Making his way downstairs, Toya saw Ken was already home, to his surprise. He had taken out a piece of paper, and was looking around the room for a pen.

"You're home already?"

"I came home late last night- but that's not important. Last night… I was able to finish my investigation."

"Your investigation… wait, do you mean on Ishida!?"

"Yes. It took longer than I expected, but I think I finally figured out-..." Suddenly, there was a pause. Ken closed his eyes and began coughing. Toya sighed, looking at Ken. He was very aware that he was devoting a lot of time towards this investigation, but this was… almost concerning. Ken continued coughing, falling to his knees for a moment. He held a hand to his neck for a moment, as suddenly, black blood came out of his mouth, with his eyes rolling up.

"KEN!?" Toya ran towards Ken, trying to help him up, but for some reason, Ken pushed him away. He suddenly reached for the piece of paper he had, dragging it down to the floor. He started smearing the blood he was coughing onto the sheet of paper, as if he was trying to write something. However… Toya wasn't able to make it out. He was in a complete state of panic, not even sure what was happening. Why was he suddenly looking so… sick? This was worse than anything he had ever seen- it was absolutely horrific. After a few more moments of smearing, however… Ken stopped. His body fell completely limp, his face flat on the floor. Toya rushed over and flipped him onto his back, immediately beginning to press press down on his chest- trying anything he could think of. "Ken… no, dammit, wake up! **KEN**!" No response. He could feel tears streaming down his cheeks as he continued to press pump his chest, but there was no response. Everything he tried… nothing was working. "Dammit... come on Ken, you can't do this! You… you can't…" Toya looked at Ken one more time. He couldn't convince himself of anything other than what he knew was the truth… and began to cry. His face pressed against his brother's lifeless corpse, as he screamed out in agony. The last bit of family he had… the very last person he had a blood relation to was now dead.


	21. Devastation

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - SIU Building**

"The evidence has been planted, sir. Nobody saw a thing." Ishida sat at his desk, smirking at the sound of a plan gone perfectly.

"Excellent. That will be all, you may leave now." The loyal worker bowed, and walked out of the office. Ishida stood up from his seat and walked toward the large window he had, gazing at the city beneath him- the city he was sure he had under his control. Nobody could stand up to him… and by the end of the day, public eye would be so on someone far different. Everything was going according to plan… now he just had to wait a bit longer, and the only people who could stop him would officially be public enemy #1. He smirked, and looked down at the city again. This wasn't a city to him anymore though… this was his own mine, filled with infinite riches that one day would all belong to him.

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

"Wait, he wasn't in class today?" Makoto was in shock. She had spent a while searching around the school for Toya, but no matter where she looked, she couldn't find him.

"No… this was the first time he's ever been absent since he transferred here a few months ago, too. I'm a bit nervous, actually..."

"I see. I'll see if I can figure out where he is… Thank you, Ms. Kawakami." Makoto walked out of the school and took out her phone, calling Toya. She waited for a few moments… and then, someone picked up. "Toya? Is that you?" No response. She could hear the sound of murmuring in the background, but there was nobody responding to her. "Toya…?" Suddenly, he hung up, having not even said a word. She went to call back, before receiving a text.

TOYA: sorry

TOYA: i really dont want to talk right now

MAKOTO: Toya, what happened?

MAKOTO: You didn't show up to school, and you're typing funny… Is everything okay?

TOYA: no

TOYA: im sorry for worrying you

MAKOTO: Toya…

MAKOTO: Can you at least tell me where you are?

TOYA: the hospital

TOYA: the one in aoyama

TOYA: it's not that far from the school if youre still there

MAKOTO: The hospital…!?

MAKOTO: You're not hurt, are you!?

TOYA: not me

MAKOTO: I'm on my way now…

MAKOTO: Please stay there, okay?

TOYA: ok

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Aoyama-Itchome (Hospital)**

Toya blankly stared at his phone for a few moments. He had a hard time processing his surroundings. Wherever he looked, he saw doctors and nurses moving in and out of rooms, and people that sat outside of rooms, much like he was. While the people who sat there waiting were sad… they had hopeful expressions, hidden under the guise of sorrow. They had hope that even though things looked bad… that everything would be okay, and that things would go back to normal before the week was over. However, that same hope… it didn't register with Toya. There were no more doctors going in and out of the room he sat outside of. He was allowed inside, but… he didn't want to go in. Even one more sight of what awaited him in the room would give him nightmares for the rest of his life. He looked at his phone again for a moment, but there was nothing to see. He knew there wouldn't be any messages, but… he didn't want to do anything else. He didn't want to see Ken's body, but he didn't want to leave, either. Even if Makoto hadn't messaged him and told him to stay, he probably wouldn't have left until visiting hours ended. He put his phone away, and then noticed someone walking towards Ken's room. It was a woman with long, gray hair. Before entering the room, she looked back, seeing Toya. The woman looked at his eyes… recognizing the purple eye color. It was a faint memory, but… she remembered his eyes, from long ago.

"You're his brother, right?" Toya nodded his head in response. He still didn't want to speak to anyone, and the woman understood this. She opened the door open and peeked through… taking a long look at Ken's now lifeless body. She shivered for a moment, not expecting it to look so… gruesome. The details of his death were unclear still, and word hadn't yet gotten out to the general public, but Toya was aware that a select few people were told. "You probably don't remember me. We only met when you were still a kid." Toya looked up and got a closer look at her. Her eyes were red, but a very dark shade of it, to the point where you'd think they were brown from a distance. She closed the door and began to slowly walk away, but before she walked out of sight, she looked back at Toya. "My name is Sae Niijima. I'll contact you another time. I understand that you're… probably not willing to talk right now." With that, the woman walked away. Niijima… that must have been Makoto's sister. They had similar eyes, too. Toya started thinking about Makoto for a moment. He probably worried her too much… but he couldn't really help it. He wanted to at least respond to her but… he just didn't know how to go about doing that. He then felt a vibration in his pocket, and checked his phone again.

AKECHI: I heard about what happened…

AKECHI: I'm incredibly sorry for your loss, Toya.

AKECHI: Ken was a great man. He deserved better than this…

AKECHI: I won't rest until I find out how this came to be.

AKECHI: You have my word on that, as a detective, and as a friend.

Toya wanted to respond to him, but… he couldn't. He held his head down, his arms limp at his sides. He sat still there for what felt like an eternity, even though in reality, it couldn't have been longer than 5 minutes. It was then that he heard footsteps, footsteps that slowly turned into a run. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing Makoto moving straight towards him.

"Toya…? Toya, what's wrong? Why are you here?" Toya didn't speak. He simply looked toward the door that was in front of him. Makoto looked at the door, slowly opening it and looking inside, gasping at the horrific sight. Ken's lifeless body… it explained everything. Why Toya wasn't in school, why he didn't talk, and why the messages he typed were typed so strangely. She looked back to Toya, who was staring at her with tear-filled eyes. Without another word, she walked towards Toya, and hugged him. She closed her eyes for a moment, before things suddenly felt… awkward, in a way. She began to pull away, but as she did, she suddenly felt Toya's arms wrapped around her tightly.

"Please… please don't leave…" His voice was shaky and practically breaking apart with every word. The two of them didn't move for a while after that. They sat still in each other's arms, as Toya continued to cry his eyes out. It was heart wrenching just to listen to someone who was so strong be absolutely defeated… without even getting a chance to fight back. No matter how they looked at it… this was a dark day in their lives. Even though Toya saw and felt Makoto right there with him… he still felt alone.

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Shibuya **

Toya stood outside of his home for a moment, staring blankly at the entrance. He wasn't ready to go in yet… he needed more air. Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket, taking his phone out.

MAKOTO: Are you okay being alone tonight…?

MAKOTO: I can stay over for a night if you need the company.

TOYA: No, I'll be fine.

TOYA: You've already done so much for me today. I can't possibly ask you for more.

TOYA: Thank you though… it means a lot.

MAKOTO: You don't have to thank me.

MAKOTO: Just… be sure you take care of yourself, okay?

TOYA: I will.

Toya sighed, staring at his phone before turning around. It was getting dark out, but… he could stay out for a bit longer before he needed to sleep. It was then that he felt his phone vibrate again, taking it out to see another message- from someone else this time.

AKECHI: I understand you're in pain, but if you're able to, I'd like you to watch the news in a minute.

AKECHI: It's going to be airing on the big screen in Shibuya- the one right outside your home.

AKECHI: There's… something that you need to see.

TOYA: Okay.

TOYA: I'm sorry for not responding earlier. Things… have been rough.

AKECHI: There's no need to apologize. I figured that you wouldn't respond to it anyways.

AKECHI: Just be sure to watch the news broadcast… It's something you need to see.

TOYA: I will. Thank you.

Toya put his phone away, and walked down the street, getting closer to the giant screen, where the news broadcast was just about to start. He was unsure why Akechi wanted him to watch it so badly, but he needed the air anyways, so there was no reason for him not to.

"Now, onto some darker news. A grave loss has devastated Japan today- as we now have confirmation of the death of ace detective Ken Kazero. While specifics aren't known as to why or how this has happened, there was an interesting piece of evidence found outside of Ken's home in Shibuya earlier today: a calling card from the infamous Phantom Thieves. To explain more, we've brought a special guest on tonight, the young man who found the calling card. Please welcome Ken's now former protégé, Goro Akechi."

"Thank you for having me, sir. This case in particular has a lot of meaning to me."

"I thought as much. Tell me, how did you find the calling card today?"

"When I had heard about what happened, the first thing I did was rush to his home. It wasn't because I needed to see the scene, but… to check on Ken's brother."

"I'm surprised you know him. I was under the impression that Ken didn't like to bring up his brother much- I'm sure there are quite a few people who aren't even aware he exists."

"Being his protégé, Ken didn't have a problem introducing me to him once he moved in with him. However… he wasn't home. I imagine Toya was at the hospital with Ken, given the circumstances."

"So, you went to his home. Was the calling card outside?"

"Right outside the door. Perhaps Ken received it the night prior and dropped it on his way home… that much is rather unclear. All we know for sure is that there was a calling card from the Phantom Thieves, and it was directed towards Ken himself."

"The Phantom Thieves sent Ken Kazero a calling card, and a day later, he was found dead in his home. Do you think that there's anything missing to the story, Akechi?"

"No, I don't. This seems very cut and dry. I've always had my suspicions about the group- and I think this confirms them. The Phantom Thieves are not heroes of justice- they are reckless vigilantes, and no matter what their goal might have been… this is an outcome we cannot approve of as a society."

"You know, after I learned there was a calling card placed, I looked into the history of the Phantom Thieves. So far, their targets have all been criminals that were hiding in plain sight, and that got me wondering… is it possible that they were aware of crimes that Ken was committing behind everyone's back?"

"No. I, as well as many others, have worked alongside Ken for a long time. If there was something wrong with him, someone would have noticed. There's no way that the Phantom Thieves could possibly know of something that we don't yet."

"I see. Thank you for this insight, Akechi. And to add on your points of the Phantom Thieves not standing for justice, the international hacktivist group Medjed has issued a callout to them on their website. They seem to be on the same side as Akechi, and are stating that if the Phantom Thieves don't stop what they have been doing the past few months since their appearance, they will have no choice but to deliver justice onto the group. What are your thoughts on this?"

"I agree that the Phantom Thieves need to stop what they are doing, but as I have said previously, I believe that they need to be tried in a court of law, rather than taken down by an anonymous hacker." Toya stood still in absolute shock after hearing everything. A calling card… sent to his brother…?

"_The Phantom Thieves…_" Toya thought to himself for a moment, recalling back on a past memory.

* * *

_Akechi: "I'd like to ask… if someone close to you- for example, your brother… if his heart suddenly changed… would you blame the Phantom Thieves?"_

_Toya: "I don't think they would target someone like my brother, but if they were to… well, I suppose I'd have to at least hear it out first."_

* * *

There was nothing for Toya to hear out. The Phantom Thieves… they didn't give Ken that chance. He wasn't given the mercy of being able to redeem himself… he was killed on the spot. He clenched his fist, taking out his phone as he felt a vibration in his pocket.

MAKOTO: Toya…

MAKOTO: By chance… did you see the news just now…?

Toya didn't respond. When he was sad and alone earlier, it was one thing. But this… this wasn't him being sad about his brother's death. This was a much stronger emotion than what he felt this morning. He closed out of his messages with Makoto, opening his messages with someone he hadn't messaged before- someone who's number he got without even asking for it. He walked towards his home, with only one feeling- one emotion running through both his mind and his heart… absolute hatred.

**July 18th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

"We need to figure something out. Every trail of Hazard has gone cold, and now we're being blamed for the death of a famous detective…" Akira held his chin and looked down, trying to think of any possible solution for the disastrous situation. The group considered ignoring it entirely, and trying to go after Medjed, but… nothing seemed like the right choice. As they were talking, Ryuji suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and opened his messenger, his eyes widening as he looked at the number that was texting him. He saw this number before, but only once… when Yusuke showed them all a conversation he had.

"Uhh, guys…? You need to see this!" Confused, the rest of the Phantom Thieves walked behind Ryuji, peeking over his shoulder and looking at his phone screen.

HAZARD: You bastard...

HAZARD: This entire time, you have been accusing me of being a psychopath.

HAZARD: Blaming me for things I didn't do, no matter how many times I tried telling you otherwise…

HAZARD: And now today… a life was taken… and it's on YOU!?

RYUJI: Hell no! We didn't do anything to that detective- we don't even know who he is!

HAZARD: BULLSHIT!

HAZARD: There's nobody else with the power to do this shit! It HAD to be one of you!

RYUJI: Back off! I told you, we didn't do shit!

HAZARD: No. I'm DONE listening to you.

HAZARD: I showed you mercy. I had every single opportunity to murder you that day in Mementos.

HAZARD: I've even known of your identities since you targeted Kamoshida. This ENTIRE time, I could have destroyed you.

HAZARD: I could have ripped your group apart piece by piece… but I didn't. Even when you tried to murder me- I let you go. I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

HAZARD: No more.

HAZARD: I won't give you another chance to redeem yourself.

HAZARD: So I'm going to say this once. You're not going to get another warning, so pay attention.

HAZARD: Don't get in my way.

HAZARD: If anyone in your group confronts me- no matter how strong they think they are…

HAZARD: I will kill them.

Ryuji attempted to respond to the text, but by the time he hit send, his number was blocked. He turned around to the rest of his team, who all watched in horror.

"So… Hazard has known our identities from the start…? He really was the one who helped us against Kamoshida…" Ann looked down. She had a feeling someone else was there, and that there was someone following her, but… to think it was Hazard the entire time… that terrified her.

"What are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to just listen to him…?"

"No, we're not." Akira spoke up, as the others all turned to face him. "If he really was there at Kamoshida's Palace… then he has to be a Shujin student. If we know he's a Shujin student, and know that he has purple eyes… then surely we can figure out his identity, can't we?"

"What about that detective's brother?" Everyone's eyes widened, as they turned to Morgana, who hopped out of Akira's bag and landed on a table in the room. "That detective just died, and now Hazard is really angry… doesn't that make the detective's brother a suspect?"

"I'm afraid I have to doubt the possibility." Yusuke looked down for a moment, before looking back to his team. "The detective's brother is named Toya. He was actually downstairs a few weeks ago. I talked to him… and I don't think someone as calm as him could possibly be Hazard. Not to mention, his eyes weren't purple- they were brown." The Phantom Thieves continued conversing about their plan for a while longer. They ultimately decided not to bother Toya- especially due to the fact that he would be more emotional than normal right now. They'd feel horrible if they bothered him, but they needed to figure something out. They had done so much as the Phantom Thieves… they weren't ready to just give it up because someone threatened them.


	22. Exasperation

**July 19th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Toya woke up early- earlier than usual. He thought of just sleeping in for the day, but… he couldn't rest. There was too much going on- too many emotions running through his mind. He wouldn't be able to sleep all day… he might as well just go to school. It'd give him a way to distract himself as well. He took out his phone, looking at his messages and remembering that he never responded to Makoto after he saw the news.

TOYA: I'm sorry for not responding sooner.

TOYA: I did see the news. After I saw it, I…

TOYA: Well, I don't think I could hold a real conversation.

MAKOTO: No, it's fine!

MAKOTO: I was just worried is all…

MAKOTO: Are you attending school yet? I understand why you wouldn't…

TOYA: I'm going today for sure.

TOYA: I need to take my mind off of everything for a bit.

MAKOTO: Are you sure?

TOYA: Yeah. I'm sure.

MAKOTO: Okay.

Toya sighed, closing his messages with Makoto before he saw another conversation- the one he had with Ryuji last night. He closed his eyes, recalling the first conversation he had with Ryuji.

* * *

_Ryuji: "Don't play dumb, dammit! Madarame told everyone else about the man in the black mask. Infiltrating Palaces, getting all the money you can and killing the owner in the process… What kind of a psychopath are you!?"_

_Toya: "Hang on, I have no idea what you're talking about… I haven't killed anyone!"_

_Ryuji: "Stop lying, it's obviously you! I won't let you do that again, though. There's nowhere for you to run this time, psycho!"_

* * *

Toya opened his eyes again, clenching his fist tightly. Ryuji… Phantom Thieves… Toya was so angry. His eyes panned toward the sandbag that was in his room, his body shaking with anger as he charged towards it, his fist clenched even tighter than before.

**June 19th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

Walking into his classroom, things immediately felt weird to Toya. It hadn't been long since he was there last, but… it felt like an eternity still.

"Oh, Toya… I didn't think you'd be back so soon…" Toya turned to his homeroom teacher, Ms. Kawakami. Her usual tired and dull gaze was still there, but there was another emotion in her eyes… concern? It was something like that- but Toya didn't really care.

"There's no reason not to come." Toya spoke blankly, as he continued walking toward his desk. Kawakami watched for a moment, almost saying something but decided it would be better for her not to bother him. As he sat down, Ann Takamaki, who sat two seats in front of Toya, pulled her phone out.

ANN: Hey, Yusuke…

ANN: You said the detective's brother was named Toya, right…?

YUSUKE: Yes, I did.

RYUJI: Is something up?

AKIRA: He's in our class.

RYUJI: For real!?

YUSUKE: Didn't we agree to leave him alone though…?

ANN: We did, but…

ANN: I don't know. I feel bad just watching him mope around like this.

RYUJI: He has brown eyes, right…?

ANN: Yeah, I saw them.

AKIRA: He doesn't look like he's much for conversation.

ANN: I know…

ANN: I guess I'll leave him alone. I still feel bad though…

Ann looked up from her phone, putting it away and looking back towards Toya, who was on his phone, waiting for class to start. He looked so… tired, both physically and emotionally. He had a dead look on his face, and his eyes were half-shut, almost as if he had exhausted himself… or maybe because he didn't get enough sleep? Whatever it was… he didn't look okay- not in the slightest. It was concerning… too concerning to sit there and do literally nothing. She thought about everything the other said to her about leaving him alone, but… she couldn't do that all day. She had to at least try talking to him, but she couldn't yet. She had to do it when none of her team was around, otherwise they would try to stop her. She considered what she could do for a moment, before suddenly hearing the bell. If she was going to do anything, it would have to wait until after school was over.

**July 19th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Lunchtime - Shujin Academy**

"Toya Kazero, please report to the principal's office." Just as class was temporarily over and he had a break, he had to do even more. He started making his way up to the top floor, not even noticing that Ann Takamaki, a Phantom Thief, was following him on his way there. There had to be more to him than she could see… but what? She kept her distance, following Toya from a far away distance, so as not to get his attention. Once she followed him upstairs however, she noticed something… weird. Toya stopped outside of the door to the principal's office, taking something out of his eyes before walking in. She couldn't quite make out what they were, but… it was something, for sure. She just had to figure out what it was…

Meanwhile, in the principal's office, Toya was surprised to see the woman he met at the hospital waiting there, as well as the principal, Kobayakawa.

"You're… Sae, correct? I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I figured you wouldn't expect me. Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything."

"We just had to make sure you're aware of your current position, Toya. After all… you lost your legal guardian, therefore there would naturally be a shift."

"Am I going to have to transfer schools…?" Toya looked down. He didn't have many friends here, but… he still didn't want to leave.

"When you first moved in with your brother, Ken was investigating a… dangerous case. He stopped at first, but due to the Phantom Thieves making their appearance, he had to start investigating it again. When he did though, he made someone promise that if something were to ever happen to him, they would become your legal guardian. He said you didn't have to move in with them, but they would legally be your guardian regardless."

"He did that…? Who'd he ask?" Sae looked away for a moment, averting her eyes away from Toya.

"They'd… rather stay anonymous. They've already confirmed it with the school, so you won't have anything to worry about in that regard. As for Ken's wealth, you'll be inheriting it. It's more than enough to cover living expenses, so you're going to be fine in that regard as well." Sae slowly got up from her seat, walking towards the door before turning to Toya one last time. "Before he died… your brother always said you were rather independent. I'm going to trust his judgement." Sae reached for the door, ready to leave, before Toya said something else.

"Was he aware this was going to happen?" Sae froze up, her hand stuck to the door handle, slowly turning back to Toya. "If Ken took this many precautions… then he has to have known he could have died, right?" Sae panned her eyes away. She knew the answer… and she hated it. "Why was he allowed to work that case when he knew he could easily die if he did it? Why was the government okay with him risking his life, and for what? Were his discoveries even worth it!?"

"I didn't expect you to understand. You're only a child, after all. When you become an adult… you'll understand that results are what matter in this world. Ken knew that, and that's why he willingly took the risk. He thought it was worth it."

"Worth it…? You think dying for some information was worth it!? His death… it was a mental shutdown, wasn't it? That's what he was investigating too, wasn't it?"

"That's…"

"That's why he started investigating it again when the Phantom Thieves showed up… because the government is afraid of them. Then he got too close to figuring out the truth, and he died for it. Did he even learn anything about it!? Do you even have a clue about what the Phantom Thieves are doing, and what their motive is!?"

"That's not the point. Ken's information was worth his death- it doesn't matter whether you understand or not."

"Tell me something then…" Toya started to slowly walk up to Sae, his purple eyes staring right through her- as if he was looking into her soul. It was almost terrifyingly intimidating, in a way. "If you were in Ken's position… if you had a chance to investigate the Phantom Thieves… a chance to figure out what their methods were… would you be willing to die? Would you be willing to die for that cause, and leave Makoto without any family?" There was a pause. Sae had no idea that Toya even knew who Makoto was, let alone the fact that they were sisters. She opened her mouth to speak, but… she was in a state of shock. She had never even considered what Toya said. Their eyes remained locked for a while, as Sae recalled a conversation she had with Ken, months ago.

* * *

_Ken: "I don't think I can continue on with the investigation anymore, Sae. Not with Toya moving in."_

_Sae: "Are you serious? We need this information, Ken. You can't quit now."_

_Ken: "What if something were to happen to me? What if I suffer from a mental shutdown? My brother… he would break."_

_Sae: "Break? What do you mean?"_

_Ken: " We have no family left, Sae. Now that my father is dead… it's just me and him. If I were to die too… especially if I were to die to a mental shutdown, the same way our father did… I think Toya would snap."_

_Sae: "I was under the impression that he got over his anger issues at a young age. What happened to that?"_

_Ken: "They're not as bad as they were back when you first met him, when we all did aikido together. But after our father's death… I wouldn't be surprised if they were to come back soon- and my death would make it even worse- worse than it ever was before."_

* * *

Sae never forgot about that conversation… but she just brushed it off. After a while, she had just convinced Ken that it was worth it, and he reluctantly agreed. However… Sae now knew what Ken meant about Toya's anger issues returning, and being worse than they were when he was younger."Nothing… the thought never even crossed your mind, did it?" Sae didn't respond. She felt so much guilt now, seeing what her convincing Ken did to Toya… it was awful. Toya sighed, and walked past her, reaching for the door handle. There was more he wanted to say, and he was still angry, but… he knew things would only get worse if he stayed there. Not to mention, the principal was watching. He didn't want to get in trouble with the school itself. He opened the door, and left, closing it behind him. Toya closed his eyes as he left, clenching his fist and hitting the wall that he leaned on. He needed to blow off steam, somehow… but as for how, he'd have to figure out at another point. He put his contacts back in, and walked away. Lunchtime would be over soon, and afternoon classes would begin. However, without him even noticing, Ann was watching from around the corner, her head poking out. She heard the entire conversation… and saw Toya put something back in his eyes. There was definitely something up… but what? She didn't know for sure, but that anger she heard… it was familiar. She felt like she was slowly piecing things together… and that boy she saw in class earlier that morning, the one who looked like he had no hope for the world around him… that boy was gone. In his place was someone entirely different… some_thing_ entirely different. She pulled out her phone, considering telling the group about what she heard, but… they wouldn't be a fan of it. Still… she had to tell someone.

ANN: Hey…

ANN: I don't wanna tell the rest of the group about this yet, but it feels wrong to keep this from you.

ANN: I ended up following that detective's brother around.

AKIRA: Even after the conversation we all had?

ANN: Well…

ANN: It was only because I felt bad at first. I wanted to talk to him and make sure he was okay, but…

ANN: There's something weird about him.

AKIRA: What do you mean by something weird?

ANN: I followed him when he was called to the principal's office. When I got there… I saw him take something out of his eyes before entering. Then, when he came out, he put them back in.

AKIRA: There was something in his eyes…?

ANN: I thought it was just contacts at first, but… who takes contacts out to have a conversation with someone?

ANN: I have a weird feeling about it, that's all.

AKIRA: There's definitely something up with him.

AKIRA: But… it's not right to assume that he's Hazard yet.

AKIRA: Is there anything else you found out?

ANN: Well… there is one more thing that caught my attention.

ANN: I overheard the conversation he had in the principal's office. Someone else was there- a woman. It started off as a conversation about how he has a new legal guardian, since it was previously his brother, but…

ANN: At one point, he got angry. Like, furious. He was getting pretty loud…

ANN: Hearing that made me think of what Hazard texted Ryuji. That crazy amount of anger…

ANN: It's kind of scary…

AKIRA: That's definitely something we need to take note of.

AKIRA: Let's keep a close eye on him from now on.

AKIRA: We should tell the others though.

ANN: Got it.

Meanwhile, in the principal's office, Sae was left questioning things for another moment, before turning to Kobayakawa.

"I'm sorry you had to bear witness to that. I knew he previously suffered anger issues, but… I didn't imagine they'd be so intense. Though… following his brother's death, I suppose that's only natural."

"Are you sure you'll be able to take care of him? He doesn't seem like he's too fond of you right now…"

"He's not, but… I didn't expect him to be." Sae turned away, walking towards the door and reaching for the handle, turning her head back to the principal once more. "Under no circumstances can be find out who his legal guardian is. Understood?"

"Of course."

**July 19th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

MAKOTO: Were you able to get through the day?

TOYA: Yeah, things were mostly fine.

TOYA: Most people just left me alone or looked at me slightly different. It's nothing to be too concerned about.

TOYA: Besides… it's almost summer break now. I'm sure I'll be able to last until then. Then, by the time school starts again, everything should mostly be back to normal for me.

MAKOTO: I'm glad you were able to get through the day well…

MAKOTO: And yes, you're right. Surely by the time summer is over, your head will be clear.

MAKOTO: I have some things to attend to so I'll be busy until much later tonight, but… I'm glad to hear you're feeling okay.

TOYA: Thank you. I have some things to take care of too, so it's fine.

TOYA: See you tomorrow.

Toya put his phone away, and made his to the subway station. After what happened this morning… he'd have to buy a new sandbag for training. Not only that, but… he wanted to do training in the Metaverse as well. He really needed to blow off some steam after his encounter with Sae…

**July 19th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Toya made his descent down Mementos. He wanted a fight- a real one. He got as far down as he could, until his pathway was blocked off by a large wall. Even still though… the area around him was definitely new. He walked around for a little bit, until he saw a group of three Shadows all standing together, not looking his way. He smirked, before he pulled out his hookshot, aiming at one of the Shadow's backs and firing forward. His hookshot pierced one of them, and he flew towards it, his gunblade materializing in his hands as he got up close to the Shadow, quickly finishing it off with a stab to the back of its head. The remaining two Shadows looked back at him, but before they had a chance to transform and retaliate, Toya aimed at one of their heads and fired, causing the Shadow to stagger back before he ran forward and jumped up, slicing around in a circle and finishing off the second Shadow, with only one remaining. However, this Shadow got a chance to transform, and it transformed into a Shadow that Toya recognized from Kaneshiro's Palace: a large figure wearing golden armor. The method Toya used to deal with it previously wouldn't work, he'd have to win in an all out fight, but that's what Toya wanted, anyways. His weapon itself wouldn't be able to break the armor, but Diabolos could. Toya waited for a moment, before the Shadow began to spin it's blade around. Toya remembered this vividly… in a few moments, the Shadow would press the hilt of its blade down to the ground, and a massive explosion would send Toya flying. Toya charged forward, using the few moments of safety he had to close the distance between the two, jumping up and getting behind the Shadow. The Shadow was far too slow and bulky to stop it's attack, and so the explosion still happened, even though it missed everything. The Shadow began to turn around to face him, but as it did, Diabolos was already out, the dark Persona looming over Toya as it charged up a blast of dark magic, firing directly at the Shadow's head, causing the helmet it was wearing to break apart, revealing its vulnerable body underneath. Toya put his mask back on and ran forward again, aiming directly for the Shadow's head. The Shadow tried to back away, but it was far too slow to avoid the attack, allowing Toya to stab right through it's head, bringing its body to the ground and finishing it off completely.

Toya stretched for a moment, yawning. It was only a warm up, so he wasn't able to get a real thrill out of it yet. However, he knew that would change in only a moment, as he heard footsteps. He looked to his right, seeing a large group of Shadows all approaching him, their slow walk quickly turning to a run as they laid eyes on him.

"You want me!?" Toya gripped his mask tightly, pulling it off as a blue flame erupted from his eyes, his Persona being summoned once more. However, there was something else to it as well. Hidden in that bright blue flame, there were traces of purple, traces that got bigger and bigger as his smirk grew wider. He started to laugh, looking at the challenge before him, and for a moment, the blue flame had turned entirely purple, and grew much larger than the blue flame ever got. He gripped his weapon tighter, charging forward with other hand still on his mask.

"**COME AND GET ME!" **


	23. Emotion

**July 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

After a long week of people awkwardly glaring at him, Toya was finally done with school for a while. There was an emergency assembly called on what would have been his first day off, but it was nothing for him to even think about. He was just happy to be done with school for a while, and free from the stress. But even with that stress removed… his mind wasn't exactly in the best place, and he was aware of that. His anger issues were slowly coming back to haunt him, and access to the Metaverse was only enabling him to channel his rage even further. He hated it, but… he had no other way of effectively dealing with it anymore. He just had to know his own limits so he didn't get himself into trouble, and if he could do that, everything would be perfectly fine. He began walking home, before suddenly feeling a vibration in his pocket.

MAKOTO: There's something worrying me…

MAKOTO: Surely you've heard of Medjed by now, right?

TOYA: You mean that hacker group that's been going after the Phantom Thieves?

MAKOTO: Yes. Normally I wouldn't be bothered by such a thing, but…

MAKOTO: Knowing what we know about the Phantom Thieves, doesn't their lack of a response seem.. Concerning?

TOYA: It certainly does. However…

TOYA: I think it's fake.

MAKOTO: Fake…? What makes you say that?

TOYA: Think about it. Medjed is a group of anonymous hackers. They illegally access information all over the internet.

TOYA: It doesn't make sense for them to be concerned with justice or morals, does it?

MAKOTO: I guess…

MAKOTO: But still… why would someone go through all of this trouble if it was just a prank?

MAKOTO: It doesn't sit right with me.

MAKOTO: Do you think we could look into it?

Toya stared at his phone for a moment. Medjed's threat… he didn't actually know much about it, but an idea sparked in his mind as he was talking about Medjed. He thought back to one of the last conversations he had with his brother, while he was still investigating Ishida.

* * *

_Toya: "Have you had any luck figuring out what Ishida's keyword is?"_

_Ken: "No, but I did figure something out… Ishida has something planned."_

_Toya:" What do you mean?"_

_Ken: "Ishida said he has a plan- one that he didn't want to resort to. Whatever this plan is… the only thing I know about it is that it has something to do with the Phantom Thieves."_

_Toya: "The Phantom Thieves…? Does he have a way to challenge them?"_

_Ken: "I think so. However, if he does, he would probably do it anonymously."_

* * *

Toya had almost forgotten about the conversation entirely… he tried not to think about his conversations with Ken, but… he knew he couldn't avoid it forever. If Ishida planned on targeting the Phantom Thieves anonymously… then this would be the best explanation. It would also explain why so called "hackers" suddenly care about justice.

TOYA: I have an idea.

TOYA: I'm gonna look into something and contact you after.

MAKOTO: An idea…?

TOYA: It… involves Ken.

TOYA: I remembered something he said a few weeks ago.

TOYA: My idea is a bit of a longshot, but… I have faith in my brother.

TOYA: I'll update you tonight.

MAKOTO: Got it.

**July 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Toya stood still in his kitchen for a moment, as he stared directly at a piece of paper that was left on the ground. This piece of paper… it was the last thing Ken ever touched. With his dying breath, for some reason… he smeared something onto this piece of paper. For so long, Toya avoided actually looking at it… it hurt to think about what could possibly be on it. However, even still… he knew he had to. This could be his only shot at confirming what he thought to be true. He slowly walked forward, picking up the paper and putting it on the table, turning it over and reading the one singular word that was on it: "MINE". He took a deep breath, and then took out his phone, opening the Metaverse Navigator, typing in "Genkei Ishida" and "SIU Building", and then paused, before typing in the word "Mine."

"Match found." Toya gasped. He was right… with Ken's dying breath, he passed on the information he learned to Toya… Ishida's final keyword. Toya teared up a little, before gripping his phone tighter. He had a job to do… he had to take Ishida down, once and for all.

TOYA: Do you have plans for today?

TOYA: There's somewhere I'd like to bring you today.

MAKOTO: You want to take me somewhere…?

MAKOTO: What did you have in mind?

TOYA: Ken figured out the SIU director's keyword.

TOYA: I want to go to his Palace today.

MAKOTO: Oh… that's what you meant.

TOYA: Did you have something else in mind?

MAKOTO: No, it's fine.

MAKOTO: Where should we meet?

TOYA: Outside the SIU building.

TOYA: Is there somewhere else you wanted to go…?

MAKOTO: No, nowhere really.

MAKOTO: I'll meet you outside the building.

TOYA: See you soon.

**July 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Afternoon - SIU Building**

The two arrived outside the SIU building, meeting each other. Toya looked toward the SIU building for a moment… at the very top of it, Ishida was there, spreading corruption throughout the entire government. He had to do something about this… if not for himself, then for Ken. This was Ken's last wish… the very last thing Ken asked Toya to do. Toya couldn't possibly disappoint him here, otherwise he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"The SIU director… to think someone with as much power as him has a Palace. Isn't that frightening…?"

"It is. Kaneshiro was one thing, but… dealing with someone like him is gonna be way tougher."

"Before we go in… you said you were gonna look into Medjed earlier today. Why is it that we're going after the director now instead?"

"Because… the director, Genkei Ishida… he's the one behind it." Makoto took a step back for a moment. The director of the SIU was starting a war against the Phantom Thieves… and threatening all of Japan while doing it!? "Ken figured out that he had a plan- one that involved taking down the Phantom Thieves. However, he said that Ishida wouldn't do it under his name- that he's do it anonymously. Medjed is his method of doing that."

"You were right then… Medjed taking down Japan is a hoax. But if that's the case, then… do we even have to be worried about Medjed anymore?"

"Technically, no. However… there's one problem with that." Toya sighed for a moment, looking away. "It pains me to say it, but people look to the Phantom Thieves for hope. After all, they're the ones who took down Kaneshiro- a literal mob boss. A lot of people think highly of them… even after…" Toya stopped. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist for a moment, before taking a deep breath. Makoto tried to help calm him down, but he reassured her that he was fine, that it just hurt to think about. He wasn't lying about the fact that it hurt for him to think about, but… in reality, Toya wasn't fine at all. There was something seriously wrong with him, and he was aware of that. He pushed thoughts about his brother aside for a moment, continuing on with the point he was trying to make. "If the Phantom Thieves were to let Japan down… public outroar would be catastrophic. We need to make sure Ishida confesses to what he's done… because I don't see a way in which the Phantom Thieves can possibly figure out that he's the one behind it."

"You're right. We're the only ones who can stop him…" Makoto stretched for a moment, walking closer to Toya as he pulled his phone out, opening the Metaverse Navigator and typing in Ishida's keywords. "Thankfully, I've been training ever since our finals passed, so I'm as ready as ever."

"Let's get going then." The two of them stood still, as Toya tapped a button and for the first time, entered Ishida's Palace.

**July 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Afternoon - Ishida's Palace (Cemetery)**

Arriving in the Metaverse, the two of them instantly felt their clothes change. They weren't welcome here already… and they weren't the least bit surprised. They examined their surroundings, only to see… tombstones, as far as the eye could see. There were unmarked graves surrounding them, with a giant opening in the ground that seemed as if it was used as some kind of a passageway.

"His Palace is… a graveyard…!?" Makoto looked around in shock and horror. She wasn't expecting something like this… nothing even remotely close to it.

"That doesn't make any sense though… his keyword was 'mine', not 'graveyard' or anything even remotely close to it…" Toya was confused. He looked around trying to figure something out, before he noticed one of the graves begin to shake. Makoto held onto Toya for a moment, her fear showing clearly, as something began to rise up from the ground in front of the grave… it was a body, clearly humanoid, but rotten… almost as if it was a zombie. However, it's face… it was clear. Toya's eyes widened in shock and horror, as he looked the zombie in its bright, silver eyes. Those eyes… Toya only knew two people with that eye color. One was his brother, but that definitely wasn't him. Ken was taller, and slimmer than the zombie he laid eyes on. That left only one option remaining… and it made Toya shiver to his very core. The only other person with eyes like that… was his father.

"Do not dare disturb Lord Ishida's sacred mine… such horrible misdeeds will only lead to one's death!"

"Are you insane? He's ripping our government apart! Following Ishida will just lead to our mindless downfall!" Makoto's resolve was there- even stronger than it was in Kaneshiro's Palace. However… Toya couldn't process this all at once- he was literally staring at his dead father… zombified and under the influence of Ishida. Makoto's head turned to Toya, who she noticed was strangely silent, only to see that his head was down, and his arms were limp to his sides. "Hazard…?"

"You're not real…" Toya slowly began to walk forward, a slight purple flame sparking from between his eyes, which Makoto noticed instantly. "This is how Ishida sees the world… his 'sacred mine'... how sickening. And if you're going to worship someone as twisted as him…" Toya's blade materialized in his hand, holding it in front of him to cover half of his face with it. There was a bigger spark between Toya's eyes- the same purple one as before. "Then you do not deserve to wear the face of my father!" Makoto took a step back. Toya's father… she didn't know a thing about him, other than the fact that he passed away a few months ago.

"Twisted? Don't you dare make a mockery of our lord! I worked tirelessly during my life to support Lord Ishida… I shall spend the entirety of my afterlife doing the same!" The zombie melted into a red and black liquid, disappearing into the ground before re-emerging as a robed skeleton, sitting atop a horse with a large gemstone lodged into its hand, and holding a giant scythe. It charged towards the two of them, bringing the scythe up and motioning to slice towards them. Toya and Makoto both jumped out of the way, but the horse that the skeleton rode on top of was quick, turning around and charging straight towards Makoto. Summoning her Persona, she quickly got on top of the motorcycle and drove towards Toya, gaining distance between her and the skeleton. Toya jumped on top of Johanna, looking back towards the skeleton who was still charging toward them. It was fast… eventually, it would catch up to them. However, Toya couldn't falter- not now. Knowing that Ishida thought of his father as nothing more than a tool… it angered him beyond belief. He ripped off his mask, a flame emerging from his face- half blue and half purple. With Diabolos hovering above him, Toya opened fire on the skeleton, but it was quick. It used its scythe to block the bullets, and was quickly closing more distance. Toya grunted, before pulling out his hookshot, aiming right for the skull. Naturally, the skeleton blocked, but that's exactly what Toya was waiting for. After he pulled the trigger on the hookshot, he quickly jumped high into the air, leaving the hookshot behind as he got right above the skeleton. Once it had blocked the hookshot, he looked forward to notice that Toya was missing, only to realize that Toya right above him- but just a second too late. Toya came down with his blade stabbing right through the skull and forcing it to the ground. Makoto stopped driving and turned around, putting her mask back on and walking back towards Toya, who was crouching on the ground. The skeleton disappeared into a black fog, leaving nothing behind except for the gemstone that was lodged in its hand. Toya picked it up, examining it for a moment.

"It's an emerald. But why was it stuck in its hand…?"

"Toya… can we talk for a second" Toya turned his head back to Makoto, who was holding his hookshot in her hands. "That… that was your father, right…?"

"It… was a cognitive version of him. That's simply what Ishida saw him as… similar to how Kaneshiro saw people as walking ATMs."

"Right… but it was still your father. And… when you saw him, you were… different."

"Different…?"

"Whenever we take off our masks, a blue flame usually comes from our faces, but… yours wasn't entirely blue. Half of it was… purple."

"It was…? I never noticed that…" Toya stopped for a moment, before pocketing the emerald and slowly taking the hookshot out of Makoto's hands, before the two of them locked eyes for a moment. Makoto could tell something was wrong… and Toya knew too. He sighed, turning away for a moment. "Makoto… when Ken died, I… went through a lot of different emotions, but… the one that surfaced the most was anger."

"Anger…? You never acted that way around me."

"I tried a lot harder to suppress it around you because I didn't want you to worry, but… when you weren't around, my anger only came out stronger than it was before." Toya sighed, putting his hookshot away and taking out his phone. "Let's just go home for today. I'd rather explain it in the real world." Makoto nodded, and the two left the Metaverse together.

**July 25th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

"You shouldn't have hid how you felt from me, you know… it's totally justified if you feel angry."

"I know… but I just didn't want to bother you with it. After all… you've already seen me when I'm extremely sad. I don't want you to have to deal with my extreme anger as well."

"We're partners, Toya. I never thought you were perfect." Makoto sighed, putting a hand on Toya's shoulder for a moment. "You're human too, you know. You can't beat yourself up for not having total control of how you feel… especially when you go through what you've had to go through this past week." Toya panned his eyes away. What Makoto said… she was right, and Toya knew it. But he needed to be better… that's what he was telling himself. He had to make sure that no matter how he felt… he took down Ishida. It wasn't for himself… it was for Ken. That's what he told himself.

"You're right. It's just… hard for me to accept that I'm struggling. But… I'll try improving on that." Toya told Makoto something entirely different. In reality, he wasn't trying to improve himself… not yet. Honoring Ken's death was more important… and he would do that. He _had_ to do that… and he had to keep reminding himself that it was for his brother, because the more time passed… the more it felt like he was doing it for his own satisfaction.


	24. Mine of Depravity (1 of 3)

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

It had been a little over a week since Toya and Makoto first entered Ishida's Palace. Since then, the two of them haven't gone back in yet, given Toya's mental condition. Instead, they simply enjoyed their first week of summer, as if they were normal teenagers. It felt wrong to relax at times, but… they knew it was for the best. Toya hadn't even dedicated time to training like he normally would, which was especially weird for him, given the fact that he had trained so much ever since he started entering the Metaverse. It was nice to have a break though… and it especially helped his head. He pulled out his phone, after hearing a vibration in his pocket.

MAKOTO: Is there anything you wanted to do today?

TOYA: Yeah, actually.

TOYA: It's been a week. I think I'm ready to go back into Ishida's Palace.

MAKOTO: Are you sure…?

TOYA: Yeah. I'm ready.

TOYA: Besides… we still have a deadline to worry about. We can't stall forever.

MAKOTO: If you're sure…

MAKOTO: I'll head to the SIU Building then.

TOYA: Got it. I'll meet you there.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (Cemetery)**

Coming back to Ishida's Palace, the two scanned the area around them. It was so creepy… Ishida's Palace was one giant cemetery? It didn't make any sense, but… it was terrifying, to say the very least. Toya sighed for a moment, turning to Makoto.

"So… I think I know what has to happen… even though I hate it." Toya slowly walked towards a grave- specifically the one that his father rose out of."

"Toya… What are you-" Makoto watched as Toya too a hold of his father's grave, before pulling it to the side, revealing a ladder that went straight down. "How did you know…?"

"It was the only grave that was moving… it's no surprise that there's something hidden underneath. Let's get moving." Toya made his way down the ladder, with Makoto stopping for a moment before following as well.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (Main Hall)**

Once they got down, they found themselves surrounded by… gemstones, as far as the eye could see.

"So, hidden under a giant graveyard… Ishida was hiding this…?"

"It makes sense. He works people to the bone… and hidden beneath all that hard work, Ishida gets the money. It's… probably what he did to my brother." Toya looked away for a moment, taking a deep breath. He had to remain calm… he had to.

"Toya…?"

"It's okay. I'll be fine… I just needed a second to breathe. Come on, the quicker we work, the better."

"Right." The two of them started walking down the open path. Wherever they looked, they would see gemstones of various different colors. It was… beautiful, in a way. Even though Toya knew exactly how this all came to be… it was still nice to look at. He'd never admit it though… never. As they continued down the path, they eventually came to a crossroad, with a giant door in the middle. The door had three giant holes in it, with the colors red, blue, and green smeared around them.

"This door… well, it definitely looks important." Toya examined the door for a moment. The holes in it had to mean something… as well as the colors around it.

"Hey, last time we were here, didn't we get a green gemstone of some kind?"

"Good call… I had completely forgotten." Toya reached into his pocket, pulling out the emerald he got from the skeleton that he and Makoto defeated. He stared at it for a moment… knowing fully well that he didn't get this from any ordinary skeleton… it was much more than that. This was from his father… or at least, what Ishida thought of his father as. He sighed, before putting it in one of the holes in the door- the one surrounded by the color green. It fit in perfectly, and once it was in, it sparkled for a moment. "That's something, but… it's not opening yet. We need two more."

"One of the holes is red and the other is blue… so we need a ruby and a sapphire?"

"It seems like it. And if I had to guess… one of them is down one pathway, the other is down the other pathway. Great…"

"Well, what should we do? Should we just go one at a time?"

"No… I think we should split up. Things will be more efficient that way, right?"

"I suppose that's right… Very well. I'll go down the right path, and you go down the left."

"Sounds good to me. Let's move." The two nodded, going their separate ways, both heading towards a different gemstone. Both were somewhat nervous, but they knew they had to do this. Otherwise… who knows what could possibly happen?

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (Blue Passageway)**

Makoto tried her best not to show it, but she was terrified. Being alone in a dark cavern, when she knew that there were literal undead around… it made her freeze to her very core. She had to be stronger, though. She knew that Ishida had influence over most of the government… and that even included her sister. She didn't mention it to Toya since she didn't want to complain about being worried about a sibling to him of all people, but it still bothered her greatly. That was why she was able to go on with such determination and grit, regardless of how frightening the area around her was. As she walked down her own passageway, she couldn't help but admire the colors around her. Regardless of how sick and twisted Ishida and his mind were… it was still a pretty sight. She began walking towards a rather large gemstone- a giant purple one sticking out of the ground. She saw her reflection in the gemstone, and then saw… something else. Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw something moving. However, when she turned her head, she saw nothing. She looked all around her, and she knew she saw something moving, but… what?

"W-Whatever you are, show yourself...!" Nothing. There wasn't even the slightest response, but she felt something. There was some kind of a chill in the air… the kind that would make someone's hair stand up straight. She listened closely- closer than she wanted to, and she could hear _everything_. But no matter how closely she listened… she couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary- but she _knew_ something was there. She walked around for a minute- trying to look for something, but there was nothing to see. Then, she looked at the giant gemstone again. She saw her face in the reflection, the horror in her expression… and tried to calm herself down. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, and told herself it would be okay. She opened her eyes again, looking at her reflection, and then her heart skipped a beat. There was something behind her… it looked like a ghost. It was slightly transparent, but she could make out a shape. It seemed to be mostly made of bones, with two giant horns sticking out of its skull, curling upwards. It had no lower half, but it had its arms, including one massive claw, and a smaller one. She jumped to her side and turned around, but… there was nothing there. Suddenly, the figure she saw in the gemstone's reflection was completely gone. Was her mind playing tricks on her? That was impossible… that's what she thought to herself. She looked around her surroundings, trying to find the slightest clue of what was actually happening- but she couldn't find anything. She kept looking around, but then out of nowhere, she saw a shard of ice fly at her- from seemingly out of nowhere. She couldn't see what it came from, but she knew where it came from… but there was nothing there. Her mind couldn't be playing tricks on her anymore, there had to be something wrong.

Then, she got an idea. She looked at the gemstone in the corner… the one she saw the ghost out of earlier. It couldn't be a coincidence that she could see it in the reflection but not in person… that had to be the trick. She looked around, and there were gemstones everywhere she looked in the room, in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Whenever she looked into the reflection of one of the bigger gemstones, she saw the ghostly figure again. She figured it out… she could only see it in reflections, but she could still interact with it. She had to be able to, since it fired off a shard of ice at it. She waited for a moment, staring at the reflection. The ghostly figure slowly made its way to Makoto, pulling back its giant claw and slowly coming in with a massive slice aimed right at her neck. She waited for a moment, before quickly bringing her hand back, grabbing the ghost's arm. Once she grabbed onto it, she was able to see the ghost in the real world.

"That's impossible… how could you know where I was coming from…!?" The ghost was in shock. The entire time, it had the upper hand on Makoto, until right now. She gripped the ghost's arm tighter, before throwing it against the wall, cracking the gemstones that were lodged inside and causing it to bounce off the wall ever, just far away enough for Makoto to get in between the wall and the ghost. Still able to see it's form, she delivered two swift kicks to its skull, before hitting it with one final punch. Putting much more force into this punch, it was enough to take the head off of the ghost entirely, sending it flying into the giant gemstone she originally saw it out of, and breaking on impact. Once the skull broke, the rest of the body faded into black mist. She took a deep breath. That thing was… terrifying, and barely being able to see it only made things worse. But somehow… she was able to defeat it. But to think, a monster that could only be seen in a reflection… would Toya have been able to deal with that, if he were here? Surely he could… he came up with crazy tactics to win all the time. If she hadn't learned from him, then perhaps she might not have won. She stopped for a moment to think about Toya… and if he was alright on his own path.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (Red Passageway)**

Toya was alone for the first time in a week… it didn't bother him too much, but it worried him a bit. Would he be okay? Would Makoto be okay? He was very aware that she was pretty scared… she made that obvious enough. To be fair enough… they were in a seemingly abandoned mine, and their only experience with anything other than themselves was with the undead. It didn't bother Toya too much, but… the fact that it was his father definitely bothered him. He forced himself not to think about it though… he knew he'd get angry again, and he wanted to avoid that. He spent an entire week trying to calm himself down… he couldn't risk losing his temper again.

He walked forward, looking around at the… rather barren passageway. There were so many gems in the rest of the mine, but here… there were none. He thought it was odd, but he really didn't care too much. As he kept walking, he found himself in a rather open space, with two torches at the other side of the room, leading to another narrow passageway. He began walking towards them, but then he heard something. He closed his eyes, listening closely. It sounded like… footsteps? No, it was much louder. It was fast, and there was a slight rumble every time the sound was made… something was coming. These weren't footsteps… it sounded like an entire stampede, and it was coming straight for instinctively jumped out of the way, and as he did, he saw a giant figure with horns charge straight through where he was originally. If he was even a second later… he might have been impaled. His blade quickly materialized in his hand, as he looked towards the giant figure, as it turned around. It had sickly green skin that seemed as if it was falling off of its body, and a giant axe that held in two hands. He looked at the rest of the body, noticing the horns and… hooves?

"A minotaur!? Where the hell did you even come from!?" Toya yelled, as he held his blade forward, staring down the minotaur. Instead of getting a coherent response like he wanted, the minotaur simply roared in response. Toya sighed, not knowing what he actually expected. The minotaur raised its massive axe into the air, trying to swing down on Toya. It was surprisingly fast for how big the axe was, but Toya was able to dodge out of the way- just barely. He went to swing his blade at the minotaur, but even though he landed a direct hit… it was as if the minotaur didn't even feel it. It simply shrugged off the pain, and slammed its axe back down in Toya's direction. He wasn't able to dodge out of the way of this one, so instead, he had to block it. However, blocking such a large attack with just his sword… it wasn't enough to stop it from hurting. Toya's entire body vibrated from the sheer impact of the clash, as he was sent flying back, colliding with the wall and collapsing onto the ground. He was in so much pain just from the impact… he slowly began to try and stand up, as he saw the minotaur slowly walking toward him, slowly raising its axe into the air. Toya closed his eyes for a moment, trying to muster the strength to get up and out of the way.

"_**What are you doing?" **_Toya heard a voice in his head… but he couldn't recognize it. "_**Are you just going to let this mindless monster end your life here?"**_ Suddenly, Toya's head began to hurt, excruciating pain flowing through him as it felt like time stopped around him. "_**You're better than this… you're stronger than this! End this futile resistance, and give in to the rage within you!" **_Toya grit his teeth, opening his eyes and seeing the minotaur closing in, mere steps away from him. He clenched his fist, as a purple flame erupted from his face, making the minotaur stumble back. Toya slowly got up to his feet, staring down the minotaur. His purple eyes flashed yellow for a brief moment, before he gripped his sword tighter.

"Well!? You want to fight? Get the hell over here already then!" Toya yelled, pointing his sword toward the minotaur, as it charged towards him. However, instead of dodging out of the way, Toya ran straight into the minotaur, dragging the tip of his blade across the ground. The minotaur began to swing down, but Toya was faster. Quickly bringing his blade up from the ground, he sliced straight upward, colliding right in between the minotaur's legs, stopping its attack entirely. Toya grit his teeth again, yelling even louder as pushing his sword further and further up, eventually slicing straight through the minotaur's entire body, cutting it in two. The two halves of the minotaur slowly fell over, disappearing into a black fog as it touched the ground. Toya took a breath, before continuing onward. He tried to resist his anger… but it simply didn't work. He continued forward, walking past the torches and onto the next room.


	25. Mine of Depravity (2 of 3)

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday) **

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (The Vampire's Tomb)**

After taking down the minotaur, Toya continued on past the two torches in the room. His mind was still clouded by his anger… and he had no real way to control it. But at that exact in time moment… he didn't care about that. He simply wanted to continue on and find the gemstone, so he could be one step closer to taking down Ishida- for his brother. After passing by the two torches and walking down a narrow passage, he found himself in another somewhat open room. It was a bit smaller than the last one, and there was a coffin in the middle of the room, as well as torches scattered around the wall. Toya was in a rush at this point… he just wanted to be done with things. He ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona, channeling a blast of dark magic and firing directly at the coffin. The coffin broke open, but… there was nothing inside.

"Oh, child… such an ungraceful style of going about things won't get you anywhere." Toya's eyes widened as he heard someone behind him. He turned around, and saw a woman that was in the air, floating in place with her arms and legs crossed. She slowly came down, and as she did, Toya noticed she was wearing something: a necklace, with a red gemstone lodged in the middle. "Oh? Has the gemstone caught your eye? It's quite a beautiful sight, is it not?"

"Nothing that comes from this god forsaken place has any beauty in it."

"Oh, and such strong words! I don't think you're one to talk about beauty when you're walking around with that awful aura…" The woman held her chin for a moment, staring at Toya. "Though… I must say, your eyes… purple is such a beautiful color."

"Just give me the damn gemstone already. I don't have the patience for a conversation with someone like you."

"Someone like me… Oh, child…" The woman's mouth formed a smile, before suddenly showing two large fangs, her eyes focused on Toya's as she began to laugh. "Such beautiful eyes don't fit on someone who exudes such ugliness… I'll just have to take them!" The gem on her necklace began to glow, as she pointed one finger towards Toya. Suddenly, a flame shot out of the finger she was pointing at him, forcing Toya to jump back to get out of the way.

"Damn it… first a minotaur, and now a vampire? Give me a break!" Toya's blade materialized in his hands, pointing towards the vampire and pulling the trigger, but she simply dodged out of the way. Toya grit his teeth, and continued to fire away, but to no avail. The vampire moved quickly, but only ever moved just far away enough to dodge the bullets, chuckling the entire time.

"Is this how you defeated that brainless brute? Such reckless force… I guess it makes sense."

"The minotaur? That was nothing. You're going down just as easily as he did." Toya ran forward, jumping into the air and slashing down in the vampire's direction, but she dodged away in time.

"Ugh, don't even mention that disgusting creature in my presence. I'm not talking about that horrid thing." The vampire held her hands out, as more fire was shot out of her. Toya blocked some of it, and dodged away from the rest.

"If you're not talking about the minotaur, then… who do you mean?"

"Wasn't a skeleton meant to greet you at near the entrance…? Ugh, don't tell me he didn't even show… I questioned his worth, but this is just ridiculous." Toya stopped moving entirely for a moment. The skeleton… there's only one person she could be talking about.

"What did you say…?"

"That man is was unfit to guard Lord Ishida's sacred mine… it's no surprise that someone as pitiful as you could get in. Once again, I have to clean up after his mistakes… What a waste of my time." The vampire sighed, clenching her fist for a moment, as it began to glow an orange reddish color. There was a big attack coming… but Toya didn't move an inch. He stood absolutely still, and processed everything that the vampire said… all of those insults directed toward his father.

"You bitch…"

"What did you just call me…!?" In a fit of rage, the vampire opened her fist, the gemstone around her neck glowing brightly as a large blast of fire shot out of her hand, aimed directly at Toya. However, a blue and purple flame suddenly erupted from his face. Engulfing the fire magic that the vampire fired at him. The vampire slowly backed away, feeling a mixture of shock and fear. That attack… that was by far her strongest. But seemingly out of nowhere, Toya was able to delete said attack from existence. Toya's head hung low, his eyes open and looking at the vampire.

"Beauty… Grace…?" Toya slowly moved his hand toward his mask, gripping it tightly and gritting his teeth. "**Keep that shit to yourself!**" Toya ripped off his mask, the blue and purple flame growing bigger, with the purple portion of it noticeably bigger. He looked directly at the vampire, his eyes occasionally flashing from purple to gold, but his Persona did not appear. Instead, he stood still, glaring at her with an intense anger in his eyes. Suddenly, he charged forward, gripping his blade tightly as he dashed straight towards the vampire. She tried to dodge out of the way, but Toya predicted her exact movement, and sliced his sword directly in her direction- landing a direct hit. She grunted in pain and tried to attack with more fire magic, but Toya relentlessly continued his assault, stopping her before she could get her attack off with another slice. His eyes were bloodshot, the intense rage overflowing within him as he continued mercilessly slicing away. The vampire screamed out in pain and anguish, but at that moment in time, Toya's mind was so focused on attacking that he didn't even hear it. He went completely berserk, until all that was left was an unrecognizable body- which slowly melted into nothingness, leaving behind the red gemstone. He began to breathe heavily, before suddenly falling down to his knees.

There was a sudden guilt that was overflowing within him. He said that he was okay to Makoto earlier… and he was wrong. There was something wrong with him- and he knew it fully well. But… he didn't know what. It was like he could feel something eating away inside of him- a desperate hunger that called out to him, begging for more control over him. But the problem is… he couldn't stop it from taking control. It was just a matter of time at this rate… he had to everything in his power to prevent himself from giving in to that power- that rage within himself. He kneeled down and picked up the red gemstone that the vampire left, and turned around. He had exhausted himself a bit… he needed time to rest.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Ishida's Palace (The Lich's Crypt)**

As concerned as Makoto was for how Toya would be on her own, she couldn't focus on that forever. She had her own trial to complete- her own job to finish. She went past the area where she fought the ghost, before the path ended with one giant room. In the middle of the room, she saw a blue gemstone, floating in the air just above a pile of bones. She was nervous, but… she already took down an enemy she couldn't see. Surely this couldn't be any trickier. She walked towards the gemstone, reaching her hand out to grab it until it suddenly began to shine, as the boner underneath it began to rattle. In a panic, Makoto jumped back, staring at the bones as they slowly took the form of a skeleton. The blue gemstone began to shine a bit brighter, engulfing the room in its light and causing Makoto to cover her eyes. Once the light had gone down and Makoto stopped blocking her vision, she saw the skeleton standing up straight, covered in a green robe with a staff in its hand, with the top of the staff being the blue gemstone she tried to grab. The skeleton's skull had two blue lights that represented eyes glowing from its eye sockets, and began to let out a sinister laugh. A skeleton with a staff… that would make it a lich.

"It's rare that someone tries to grab this sapphire… but to think that it's an actual human this time… I must say, I'm rather impressed by the bravado you've shown."

"You've dedicated your life to someone as horrible as Ishida… why!?"

"I wouldn't expect a mere human to understand the brilliance behind Lord Ishida's plans. His actions are a necessity to keep his country prosperous."

"How is corruption going to fix anything…!?"

"You truly do not understand… I see. I don't see the purpose in me explaining this to you. Our conversation shall end here… and due to your forbidden entry to this sacred place, as will your life!" The lich gripped its staff tightly, pointing it forward as ice magic began to fire out of it. Makoto quickly dodged out of the way, but she was only barely able to get out of the way. The lich's spells were quick- far quicker than any spells she had seen in Kaneshiro's Palace. She took off her mask and jumped into the air, landing on Johanna and revving up, driving around the lich to try and gauge how fast it could attack- and it was even faster than she thought. He would be. She couldn't even get an attack off- the lich had too much pressure. "Give this up. You're no match for me."

"I'm not giving up! I swear, I will make sure Ishida's crimes don't go unpunished!"

"Such grit… I suppose that's how you defeated the wraith I created."

"The wraith…? Wait, you created that!?"

"To defeat an enemy you cannot even see… You deserve respect for that. Stay still- I'll make your death quick and painless." Makoto had an idea all of a sudden. The wraith… she couldn't fight it normally. She had to bait it into an attack, and then punish. That's how she was able to defeat it… and it's how she can overcome the lich, too. She spun around on Johanna, before suddenly, the ground in front of her was engulfed by a blue explosion. A thick cloud of smoke quickly filled the area, confusing the lich as Makoto kept spawning explosions, covering more and more of the room in smoke. "Such a cheap trick… very well then. Come out and face me!"

"Charge, Johanna!" Makoto yelled, and the lich's head turned in the direction of her voice. He listened closer, and heard the engine revving up, and saw the front of the motorcycle charging out of the smoke. Just upon seeing the front, the lich fired a powerful blast of ice magic directly at it. However… after firing that blast, he realized there was nobody on top of it. For a moment, the lich panicked, rapidly shooting blasts of ice around the room- but to no avail. He couldn't find Makoto, no matter where he shot.

"Where are you hiding…!?" The lich looked all around the room, desperately trying to find Makoto. However, little did he know, Makoto was already right there, waiting behind him. Without a word, she quickly grabbed the blue gemstone on the lich's staff. The lich turned around for a moment, one of the lights in his eyes fading instantly from losing his power source, the residual power keeping one lit as he faced Makoto. "When did you get behind me... !?" Makoto pocketed the blue gemstone, turning her eyes to the lich. Without saying a word, she formed her hands into two fists and began attacking the lich. She didn't know if the lich had any tricks up its sleeve, so she didn't take any chances. Every single punch put a crack in its skull, and she didn't stop until the final light in the skull's eye was completely gone. Once she was gone, she relaxed, as the lich faded into black mist. She took the blue gemstone out of her pocket, looking a bit closer at it. She actually really liked it… but now wasn't the time for that. She put it back in her pocket and went back toward the main hall.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Afternoon - SIU Building**

"Have the Phantom Thieves made a statement yet, Ishida?"

"No, they haven't. They've been backed into a corner."

"Good. With them out of the picture, things will be able to proceed smoothly. You'll be compensated accordingly." The man Ishida was on the phone with promptly hung up, with Ishida smirking. Everything went according to his plan… and the one person who could have possibly uncovered the truth, Ken Kazero, was already disposed of. The Phantom Thieves had no options now… and even if they found a way to deal with the Medjed threat, it's already been planned for. Ishida truly thought it through… and he had the utmost confidence that he would be able to pull this off.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Afternoon - Ishida's Palace (Main Hall)**

Returning back to the main area of the Palace, Makoto was incredibly relieved to see Toya already there, waiting for her with a ruby in his hand.

"You did it!" Makoto expressed her excitement, taking the sapphire out of her pocket and showing it to Toya.

"We both did… I knew you could do it." Toya walked towards the door, putting the ruby inside of its slot, as Makoto did the same with the sapphire. Once all three gemstones were in the door, they all began to shine, before the door suddenly rumbled, rising up to reveal a passageway behind it, leaning downwards. Toya and Makoto looked at each other, nodding before continuing down the passageway. As they slowly descended down the path, they couldn't help but notice that there were even more gemstones than there were before- all of various different colors. However, they couldn't focus on it. They continued down the path, ready to be done with this nightmare of a Palace.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Afternoon - Ishida's Palace (Underground Shrine)**

Getting to the end of the short passageway, Toya and Makoto were surprised to find… a shrine, as if made to worship some kind of a god. However, their focus wasn't on the shrine- it was on the misty object just above it.

"There it is… Ishida's Treasure." Toya simply stared. This was it… everything his brother asked of him was symbolized by that treasure. He was gonna honor his brother's death… and he could finally rest in peace. It was still a sad thought, but… it gave Toya the determination he needed to control himself- and his emotions.

"Let's get out of here… I don't want to be here much longer." Makoto looked around nervously, before turning around. Toya stared at Ishida's Treasure one more time… this was it. This was everything he needed to obtain. It felt like time stood still while he looked at it… like his entire life was centered around this object that hadn't even materialized yet. He could do this… he had to do this. For a moment, he looked to the sky, having one thought before turning around to follow Makoto back.

"_Ken… watch over me._"

**August 2nd, 20XX**

**Afternoon - Ishida's Palace (Cemetery)**

Climbing up the ladder and exiting the mine, Toya and Makoto looked at each other one more time. They had both gone through hell to get through the Palace… but it was finally done, and now all that was left was to take Ishida's treasure. But then, out of nowhere, they heard the ground shake underneath them. Confused, they looked around, only to see every single grave rumbling. The last time this happened… they had to deal with a Shadow- but this was more than that. Countless hands rose up from the ground, as Makoto hid behind Toya, watching in fear as a countless number of zombies came out from the ground. However… they didn't attack. They turned away from the pair, and instead looking toward the entrance to the mine, and all kneeling.

"How daring of you two… to try and enter my sacred grounds." Toya and Makoto's eyes both widened, as they looked toward the entrance to the mine, as someone slowly rose up. A man in a long, white robe slowly ascended into the air, landing on the ground and facing the two of them. This… this was him. The director of the SIU… Genkei Ishida.

"Ishida…!?" Toya stepped forward, clenching his fist as he stared Ishida down. The way he dressed… was he supposed to be a god…? Then, it clicked for both of them. That shrine they saw at the bottom of the mine… that was _his_ shrine. The person who was being worshipped… it was him.

"Your faces… I see. So, the detective's brother… and the prosecutor's sister. An interesting pairing, I must say. Though, this is where that partnership of yours will end."

"End? Don't be ridiculous. We're going to stop you." Makoto stepped away from Toya slightly, not hiding behind him any longer, but looking at Ishida head on.

"My brother's final request to me was to take you down… like hell I'll let things end before I make that happen!" Suddenly, Ishida began to laugh. "What's so funny, dammit!?"

"Your desperate attempts at bravery… it's pathetically laughable. However… I am a man of my word. Mark my words, Phantom Thieves… You shall not survive this encounter!" Ishida stared forward, smirking as he snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the zombies began to shake, as they all fell down to the floor, face first. A blue mist came out of their bodies, as they all faded away into nothingness. However, that blue mist… it all came together in the air above Ishida. Within a few moments… the mist had taken a new form- a solid one. Ishida smirked, as a loud roar came from the air above him where the mist all converged. Toya and Makoto weren't done in Ishida's Palace for the day yet… they had one final challenge. Their weapons materialized in their hands as Ishida slowly descended back into the mine, leaving behind Toya and Makoto's final challenge of the day: a massive, zombified dragon.


	26. Mine of Depravity (3 of 3)

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Afternoon - Ishida's Palace (Cemetery)**

"He summoned… a dragon!?" Makoto clenched her fists, staring down the massive dragon as it hovered in the air.

"He killed all of those Shadows just to summon this… he truly has no remorse for those around him. He's just using them as sacrifices…!" Toya held his head for a moment. To see such a horrible act… he was getting angrier just thinking about it. He tried to calm himself down- but he was distracted by the dragon letting out another roar, the force of it slightly pushing Toya and Makoto back. They had no time to worry or complain… this dragon could kill them within seconds. The dragon began to descend down towards the two of them, raising its claws into the air. They both dodged out of the way, but the sheer shockwave of its claws hitting the ground sent them flying back, stopping their chance to even retaliate. Toya aimed his blade towards the dragon's claws as it tried to bring its claws back, shooting at them, but there wasn't much of an effect on it, it only slightly staggered from every single shot.

"We need more firepower!" Makoto yelled out, as she jumped back and ripped off her mask, summoning her Persona and mounting on top of it, with Toya summoning his as well. They channeled their energy, and fired off their own blasts of magic. Makoto's nuclear attack magic caused the dragon to take actual damage, but it was able to shrug off Toya's dark magic.

"Damn it… My magic isn't gonna work here. We need to think of something- fast!" Toya put his mask back on, staring down the dragon for a moment. There had to be a weakness… he needed to think of one. As he began contemplating a strategy for taking, the dragon let out another blood curdling roar, and began to flapping its wings at a much faster rate than normal.

"Get on!" Makoto yelled out to Toya, who quickly jumped on top of Johanna, as the two drove out of the way. The dragon roared once more, and with the use of its wings, sent out consecutive blasts of wind magic. Makoto grit her teeth, driving around as fast as she possibly could, trying not to hit and of the graves that were stuck in the ground. She looked back, seeing that the dragon was still attacking- and it didn't look like it was gonna stop. However, it was at that moment that Makoto had an idea- one that might be enough to buy them some time. "Those wings… that's it! You have to aim for its wings!"

"The wings… you're right! Keep driving, I can bring it down from here!" Taking off his mask again, Toya summoned Diabolos and stared directly at the dragon's wings, before Diabolos' arms morphed, and fired consecutive shots right into the wings, landing perfect shots. The dragon screamed out in agony as it slowly began to descend closer to the ground, still just barely floating above.

"He's down! I'm going in!" Makoto turned towards the dragon and accelerated straight towards it, gritting her teeth as Toya stood up, jumping off of Johanna as the two of them both rushed in, constantly barraging the dragon with attacks. However, after taking a beatdown, the dragon let out a massive roar, pushing Toya and Makoto back. "Keep your eyes open, this thing might have more tricks!" The dragon roared, and began smashing the area around it in sheer anger. Countless graves were destroyed and sent flying towards Toya and Makoto, who dodged out of the way accordingly. However… something caught Toya's eye. He took a glance at the grave down at his feet… it was broken, so he couldn't read much, however, he saw one word… "Kazero." He froze for a moment. His father… the man he looked up to for so long in his life… this was his grave- or at least some version of it, and this dragon simply destroyed it like it was nothing. His mind went blank of a second, as he desperately tried to process things. "**WATCH OUT!**" Toya's eyes widened as he was suddenly pushed away, falling down to the ground as he looked back, seeing Makoto in the place he originally was, as she got smacked away by the dragon, sent flying across the cemetery and landing down on the ground, tumbling around before finally coming to a stop.

"**QUEEN!**" Toya rushed over to Makoto's body, turning her onto her back, feeling for her neck. He felt her pulse… she was alive, but completely unconscious. He breathed a sigh of relief, and looked towards the dragon, who was trying to fly in the air, just barely getting further off the ground. "You broke the grave of my father… and then you hurt one of the most important people in my life…!" Toya felt his anger spiking out of control, but this time… he didn't care. That anger made him feel stronger… and he needed it. He gripped his blade tighter, and dashed straight towards the dragon, his anger visible in his eyes as he stared at the dragon. The dragon tried slamming its claws down on him, but he was able to dodge out of the way rather easily, closing in on the dragon. However, the dragon had one trick left, one that Toya, in his fit of anger, didn't even think of. Reeling its head back, the dragon suddenly let devastating green fire fly out of its mouth, aimed straight towards Toya. Not expecting this, he was forced to summon his Persona, and fire magic at the dragon's fire breath. The two attacks collided against each other, which gave Toya the time he needed to get out of the way. He thought for a moment about what he could do… he wouldn't be able to close in on it.

Then, he got an idea, one that would work. He took out his hookshot, and aimed right for the dragon's eye. He took a deep breath… before firing, and connecting right with the dragon's eye. He began to fly through the air, gritting his teeth as he got closer and closer to the dragon. However, the dragon reacted by preparing another blast of fire, aimed right towards Toya, who was unable to dodge. It reeled its head back, before shooting out the devastating breath of fire. However… Toya knew this was coming. Gripping his blade tighter, he raised it above him, and sliced through the chain of his hookshot, breaking it in half and bringing him down to the ground, dodging out on the breath of fire altogether.

As the dragon continued to breathe out the green fire, Toya ran forward, out of the dragon's sight and sneaking behind it, stabbing its tail and climbing up on top of it. He ran forward, standing on the dragon's head and slashing away at the top of it, causing the dragon to yell out in pain. He didn't stop though, he needed to be sure he defeated it, so he continued slashing away at the zombified beast, relentlessly going at it, until he thought it was done.

Toya took a deep breath… before his eyes suddenly moved to Makoto. She was still completely unconscious… and seeing her in such a horrible state… it made something snap in his mind. For a moment, Toya's eyes flashed golden, as he angrily gripped his blade, and shoved it into the dragon's head again. There was no response from the dragon… it was already done for. However, at that moment in time, Toya didn't care at all. He was so angry… and that anger began to control him. He knew the dragon wasn't really there anymore- that it was completely dead at this point, but it didn't change anything. He still felt the need to hack away at it… and so he did. For what felt like an eternity, he slashed away at the zombified dragon, before eventually tiring himself out, and jumping down onto the ground. Once he did… the dragon disappeared into a black fog. It was finished at that point… completely eradicated, without a trace remaining. Toya reached back into his pocket, pulling out the now broken hookshot. He didn't want to break it… but he had no choice. A part of him regretted it, but he knew that was the only way he could defeat the dragon. After looking at his hookshot for a while, Toya quickly made his way back to Makoto, who was still completely knocked out. But still… she was alive. That was all that really mattered to him now that the dragon was gone. He got down on his knees, before putting one hand on Makoto, and pulling his phone out with his other hand, exiting the Palace and returning to the real world.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

After bringing Makoto home, Toya finally got back to his own home. He took a deep breath, before laying down, and feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket.

MAKOTO: What happened…?

MAKOTO: My head is all fuzzy, and I feel so sore...

TOYA: What do you remember?

MAKOTO: We entered Ishida's Palace… we split up and eventually found his Treasure, and then on our way out… I don't even remember. Something was stopping us, right…?

TOYA: A dragon. A giant, zombified dragon. I'm surprised you could forget that thing…

MAKOTO: We fought a dragon…!?

MAKOTO: Wait, how do I not remember that then…?

TOYA: You got hurt.

TOYA: It wasn't a real injury, but you'll probably want to lay down for a few days...

MAKOTO: That explains the soreness…

MAKOTO: Still… I'm so confused. Did you take down the dragon then…?

TOYA: Eventually, yeah. I was able to overcome it.

MAKOTO: How…? If it was able to hurt me so bad, then it had to have been really strong, right…?

TOYA: It's like when we fought that Shadow in Kaneshiro's Palace, the one with golden armor.

TOYA: Neither of us could brute force it, but I was able to outsmart it, so we won.

TOYA: Something similar happened, only… I wasn't the one who outsmarted it. It was you.

MAKOTO: I did…? I don't even remember…

TOYA: You came up with the idea to attack its wings. That completely crippled its movement, so it couldn't even attack anymore after a while.

TOYA: Doing it was easy, but coming up with the plan… that's a lot tougher. The credit goes to you, even if you don't remember it.

MAKOTO: If you say so…

Toya put his phone away for a moment, staring at the ceiling. He lied to Makoto… but he felt like he had to do that. He would only worry her if he told her the truth, and he really wanted to avoid that… He just had to find a way to control his anger. He looked around in his room, and saw the sandbag in his room- the one he had bought two weeks ago. He broke a sandbag due to his anger alone… it was abnormal. Anger can give someone adrenaline, but for Toya, it was different. He was getting much more than just adrenaline from being angry… it was like he got noticeably stronger, and a lot riskier. He sighed, before looking into his bag… only to see that his father's hookshot wasn't even there anymore. Toya completely broke it… and as a result, it didn't even exist in the real world anymore. He didn't want to think about it, but… he couldn't help it. It was the one thing he had to remember his father… and now, it was gone, and that was all because of him. There was nobody else he could blame… only himself. Before he could beat himself up over it, he felt his phone vibrate again.

MAKOTO: Ugh, I don't think I've ever been this sore before…

TOYA: Get some rest… You really need it.

TOYA: We found Ishida's Treasure, so we don't have to go back in until we're ready to send the calling card. You have the time to rest up a bit first, so don't worry so much, okay?

MAKOTO: Okay, but… There's still something I have to do tomorrow.

TOYA: Well, if you're feeling well enough tomorrow, then sure. What do you have to do?

MAKOTO: Well… I actually meant to ask you for your help after we got out of Ishida's Palace, but… well, things obviously got in the way of that. Are you free tomorrow?

TOYA: Tomorrow? Yeah, why?

MAKOTO: Well… you remember Eiko, right?

TOYA: Eiko…? Oh, that girl we saw at Shinjuku? What about her?

MAKOTO: Well… apparently, she's now dating a host from a club near her work. Maybe I'm just worrying too much, but… hearing that she's dating a club host… doesn't that seem suspicious to you?

TOYA: It could be…

TOYA: I'd have to meet him before actually judging him though.

MAKOTO: I was thinking the same thing, and… I wanted you to come with me, but…

TOYA: But…?

MAKOTO: Well… since Eiko is convinced that I have no knowledge of love at all, and that I wouldn't understand the bond that the two of them have together, so… do you think you could pretend to be my boyfriend for the day…?

MAKOTO: It's just going to be at a diner, nothing fancy, I swear!

TOYA: So, a double date…?

TOYA: Sure. That'd be a good way to figure out what kind of a guy Eiko's boyfriend is.

MAKOTO: Thank you so much… I don't know what I would have done if you said no.

MAKOTO: I'll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight!

TOYA: Goodnight.

Toya put his phone away, looking at the ceiling again, before closing his eyes. There was so much on his mind… maybe he needed a break. Going out on a date with Makoto wouldn't be so bad… even if it is just for information about some guy neither of them have ever met. Still… for some reason, he was excited to go. He closed his eyes, thinking about what would happen the next day before going to sleep.

**August 2nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**? ? ? ? ?**

Opening his eyes, Toya found himself in… a weird place. Everything around him was… dark, and it was really hot, enough to make him sweat. Was this a dream…? It felt so real… there's no way it could be just a dream. He looked around, but there was only one thing he could see… it was a throne. A large throne, fit for royalty, was in the room, for seemingly no reason. For some reason, Toya felt… like it was calling to him. He slowly made his way towards it, but as he turned around to sit in it, for a brief moment, he saw something. Suddenly, there were images in his head- ones that he couldn't make out, but he saw them, and it hurt his head. He gripped his head in pain as he saw these incomprehensible images, screaming out in pain as he fell to his knees, before looking up. The throne was behind him, but in front of him… there was a light. It was like a door… but what was it…? Toya couldn't tell, but he needed to get out. Wherever he was… it felt like it was going to kill him. He quickly ran towards the light, gripping his head tighter with every step, before finally stepping through, exiting the dark room he found himself in.


	27. Pancakes

**August 3rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Toya's eyes jolted open as he awoke in a cold sweat, sitting up and breathing heavily, his head still in pain for a moment. That was just a dream, but… it didn't feel like one at all. That felt real- very real. Not to mention those images he saw… he didn't know what to truly think. All he knew was that it terrified him. He took out his phone and looked at the time… it was still early. He looked at his messages, and remembered that he had to go out with Makoto later. It had completely skipped his mind after that nightmare… or whatever it was. He couldn't wrap his head around it, and it hurt to even think about it. He sighed, before laying down and closing his eyes again. There had to be something more to what he just experienced… but as for what it was, he didn't have a clue. He tossed and turned around in bed for a few minutes, before feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket.

AKECHI: Sorry to bother you so early in the morning!

AKECHI: I'm in town and was wondering if you'd like to get breakfast.

AKECHI: It's been quite some time since we last talked, after all.

TOYA: Breakfast sounds great right now.

TOYA: Where do you want to meet?

AKECHI: I'm already by the giant screen outside in Shibuya.

TOYA: Got it. I'll be there in a minute.

**August 3rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya**

After meeting each other outside, Toya and Akechi made their way to a nearby restaurant, ordering food for themselves. Toya still wasn't able to get those images out of his head… every time he closed his eyes, he saw those images in his head again. He still couldn't quite make it out though… just what did he see?

"Is there something wrong? You're not looking too well…" Toya snapped out of the mini trance he was in, looking towards Akechi.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine, just thinking about a dream I had…"

"A dream? Was it a nightmare, then?"

"Kind of… I don't really know how to explain it. I don't even remember much of it, just… an uneasy feeling. It was almost like something was calling out to me, something… sinister. I don't really know how else to put it." Akechi looked at Toya with a confused face for a moment.

"That's a rather strange dream… It sounds quite scary."

"I don't know if I'd call it scary… but it definitely left an impression on me." Toya stretched for a moment, taking a bite out of his food and looking back towards Akechi. "Don't worry about me though. How have things been with you?" Akechi was too busy eating his pancakes to even respond right away. However… seeing this made him think of something- a conversation he once had.

* * *

_MORGANA: "Ooh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake-looking place we passed on the way here!"_

_ANN: "Ohhh… You mean Dome Town?"_

_AKECHI: "Did you hear that Toya!? A pancake place in Dome Town!"_

* * *

Toya's heart skipped a beat. He had forgotten all about that conversation… he had completely forgotten that Akechi has the ability to hear Morgana… which means he's been to the Metaverse.

"I'm sorry- did you say something?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just asking how work has been." There was a certain uneasiness in Toya's voice, and Akechi heard it. He raised an eyebrow, and the two began to stare directly into each other. Something was up… and both of them knew it. Both of them had suspicions that the other was hiding something… however, in Toya's case, he had confirmation. Akechi didn't have confirmation of it- not yet. Desperately trying to think of an excuse, Toya closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and putting his head down, putting one hand on his stomach, beginning to grunt in pain.

"Toya…?"

"I-I'm fine! Just… just give me a moment…" Toya slowly got up on his feet, beginning to walk toward the restroom awkwardly, keeping one hand on his stomach and using his other to lean on objects in the room, making his way to the restroom. Akechi watched in awkwardly for a moment, before feeling his phone vibrate. He threw his suspicions aside, and took his phone out.

ISHIDA: Have you pieced together any information about the Phantom Thieves yet?

AKECHI: I told you already, there's nothing to find. If they're doing anything, I'd need to know where they're operating, and it's not like I can just take a guess on random people in the population.

ISHIDA: Then start looking into the most likely candidates. Narrow it down.

AKECHI: I already did. I've been working my ass off, and I came up with nothing.

ISHIDA: Work harder, then! Don't you know what's at stake?

AKECHI: Do you have any idea how busy I am? Not only am I running around looking for the Phantom Thieves for you, but I'm doing it as the only reputable detective left.

AKECHI: I've been working day in and day out trying to do this bullshit. I'm losing my sanity over this!

AKECHI: And if not for YOU, Ken would still be alive, and maybe I'd have found the Phantom Thieves by now!

ISHIDA: Me? Don't be ridiculous.

ISHIDA: You're the one who murdered him at the end of the day.

Akechi glared at his phone, angrily looking at the messages from Ishida. He wanted to murder him so badly… but he couldn't. He needed Shido's trust still… otherwise, his entire plan would backfire. He had to just suck it up and take the punches… as much as he hated it. He put his footsteps and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself down, taking bites out of his pancakes to distract himself.

However, Akechi wasn't the only one trying to calm himself down. Toya was in the restroom, splashing water on his face and taking deep breaths, looking into the mirror. Akechi entering the Metaverse… that was a big deal, because he wasn't a Phantom Thief. However… Toya knew of one more person who entered the Metaverse, but only one.

* * *

_Kaneshiro: "You know, there's already someone out there taking full advantage of what Palaces have to offer…"_

_Makoto: "What…?"_

_Kaneshiro: "I'll let you in on a little something… There's a criminal using other people's Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don't care about consequences. Psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns… Anything goes."_

_Toya: "Someone is causing psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… by using the Metaverse…?"_

* * *

"That's impossible…" Toya spoke to himself silently, in complete disbelief. The only potential suspect he had… he was in disbelief. He took out his phone and checked his messages, scrolling through a previous conversation with Akechi.

* * *

_Akechi: "I heard about what happened…"_

_Akechi: "I'm incredibly sorry for your loss, Toya."_

_Akechi: "Ken was a great man. He deserved better than this…"_

_Akechi: "I won't rest until I find out how this came to be."_

_Akechi: "You have my word on that, as a detective, and as a friend."_

* * *

He stared blankly at his phone. He couldn't believe what he was seeing… and somewhere, deep in his mind, he could feel something beginning to snap. The thing about Ken's death… it wasn't the first time Toya had seen something like that. He had heard about these kinds of deaths being common, and they were labeled as mental shutdowns… which is exactly what Ken went through. Not only that… but his father suffered the same brutal fate, all those months ago. He closed his messenger, and opened the Metaverse Navigator. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, before slowly typing in Akechi's name.

"Match found."

Toya couldn't believe his eyes. The person in the black mask… the person Kaneshiro warned him about… the person who killed his family… was his friend. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate, going back to his messenger.

AKECHI: Sorry, but I have to go.

AKECHI: Unfortunately, I'll have to work earlier than I anticipated…

AKECHI: I paid the bill for our food though, so don't worry about that.

AKECHI: Hopefully we'll see each other again soon!

TOYA: Yeah. Let's be sure to see each other again some time before my summer break is over.

TOYA: See you soon.

Toya knew he wanted to see Akechi again, very soon… but not yet. He didn't have a clue as to what Akechi's keywords could be, so he couldn't enter his Palace… and even if he knew them, he couldn't enter today. He still has to go out with Makoto later today.

TOYA: Hey, when are we gonna go meet Eiko and her boyfriend today?

MAKOTO: She wants to meet around the time school would end.

MAKOTO: You'll still be available, right?

TOYA: Yeah, definitely. Do you know where we're meeting?

MAKOTO: Probably just at the diner in Shibuya.

TOYA: Got it. I'll see you in a few hours then.

MAKOTO: Oh, okay. See you then.

**August 3rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya**

Coming back to the diner with Makoto, the two of them waited around at a table for Eiko, and her boyfriend. Makoto was admittedly nervous… she's never had an actual boyfriend, so she didn't know how to pretend like she was dating Toya. Though, she didn't particularly dislike the idea of dating him, but she pushed that thought aside.

However, while Makoto was nervous, Toya was… confused, more than anything else. He wanted to focus on this date, for Makoto's sake, but… he couldn't. Akechi… he was might be the person who murdered both his brother _and_ his father. It made no sense to him- and he didn't want to believe it, but it was real- and it messed with his head.

"Toya? Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, sorry… What did you say?"

"They'll be here in a minute. Hey… are you okay? You seem distracted by something…"

"No, I'm fine. I'm just overthinking something, that's all."

"Is it about Ishida…?"

"No, it's about… something else." Toya paused for a moment, before hearing the sound of the door opening. He looked back, and noticed Eiko walking in with another guy- presumably her boyfriend. He turned away, and looked back to Makoto. "They're here. Let's talk about it when we're done."

"Okay…" Makoto was even more worried now. The usual confidence that Toya's voice had… it was noticeably absent, and instead, it was replaced by something that sounded like doubt. She didn't have much of a chance to really think about it though, because before she knew it, Eiko and her boyfriend were sitting down in the seat in front of them.

"Yo. My name's Tsukasa. I heard all about you two from Eiko. So I heard you're the student council prez, Makoto? I totally wish I could be one of your council members."

"Y-Yes, I am… Totally…"

"And this guy here… he's your boyfriend, yeah?" Tsukasa looked at the two of them sitting together. Toya was trying his hardest to look like he was unbothered, but he still looked somewhat concerned. Makoto looked even more concerned, but that was more so due to her being nervous, which was evident in the way she spoke a well. "Looks like you guys don't get along too good though. It's like your love level's rock bottom. Are you seriously datin'?"

"No, we are. Though, I prefer keeping my love life a secret to keep controversy away… that was it's easier for my family. That's why the two of us look so nervous, we just don't really want to be seen in public." Toya's confident voice had returned. Makoto was more than relieved to hear it, as she was completely clueless on how to respond to that.

The conversation continued on with Tsukasa not really paying much attention to what Toya had said. Instead, he spent the time giving Eiko extremely shallow compliments that Toya rolled his eyes at. A few minutes later, Eiko got up and left to go to the bathroom, and when she did, Makoto's true intentions became much more obvious. However, Tsukasa quickly changed the topic, and started asking for Makoto's number instead.

"What's wrong? C'mon, gimme your number."

"I-I, um…"

"Hey." Toya spoke up, glaring at Tsukasa, his eyes staring bullets straight through Tsukasa's skull, making him feel admittedly uneasy. "Back. Off."

"W-Whoa… Sheesh, I get it. Protective of your girlfriend here… Hey, that's all good by me! Anyways, Eiko already gave me your number, Makoto. We good." Toya continued glaring as Tsukasa, before Eiko came back. A few moments later, the two of them left for work, leaving Toya and Makoto there alone.

"I hope he's not tricking her… But no matter what I might think, I still don't have any proof… and above all, Eiko seems really happy. Am I just… getting in the way of their happiness?"

"You're overthinking this. All you're doing is being considerate, Makoto. That's not getting in the way of anyone's happiness."

"I suppose so… I mean, I really am worried about Eiko here…" Makoto closed her eyes and looked down, sighing. "In the end, I know this is just a hunch… but my father always stressed how important it is to trust hunches." Makoto's phone suddenly began to vibrate, so she took it out and opened her messenger, reading a text from Tsukasa that was hardly even coherent. "By the way, I'm glad you were here with me. I would have really panicked had I been alone… I honestly despise how immature I can be sometimes… but I'm working through that with your help, so… thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Makoto. We're partners, and friends!" Toya stopped speaking for a moment, before turning away, repeating a word over and over in his head… "friends".

"Toya…?"

"There's… something I need to tell you. Let's talk about this at my place… I really don't want anyone else hearing this."

**August 3rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

"You know who killed your brother…!?" Makoto was in shock, taking a step back. "But… how…?"

"When Ken died… that wasn't the only time I had seen a death like that. Someone else died in a strange way that I knew… that being my father. His death is the entire reason I moved here in the first place." Toya looked away for a moment, the painful memory of his father's death stinging. "It's commonly known as a mental shutdown, and the prime suspects for this are the Phantom Thieves, since they already tamper with people's hearts, and because a calling card was sent to Ken, but… I don't believe that."

"Wait… you don't think the Phantom Thieves killed Ken…?"

"Think about it. What correlation is there between Ken and their other targets? Kamoshida and Madarame… they were criminals, hiding in plain sight, but Ken… he wasn't. Furthermore… I never saw a calling card."

"But… if the Phantom Thieves didn't do it, then… who did?" Toya sighed, looking back towards Makoto for a second.

"Did I ever tell you who the Phantom Thieves are?"

"Wait… you know of their identities…!?"

"I've known since they took down Kamoshida. However… I've never pursued them. I've been waiting to see if I can verify their justice… and besides, I have no way to prove it. I overheard countless conversations and eavesdropped on them, but I never recorded it. To keep things simple… most of them go to our school, apart from one. The most odd member they have is… a cat."

"A cat…? Like, a real cat?"

"Well, to everyone else, yes. It looks like an everyday cat. But realistically… it's much more than that. Once you go to the Metaverse… you can actually hear the cat talk. That means that if anyone can understand the cat, then they've been to the Metaverse, and… there's someone else who I know has been there… and I hate the fact that there's a chance that he's the one who killed my brother, and my father…"

"Who is it…? Who do you think?"

"It's none other than the person who actually found the calling card… Goro Akechi." Makoto gasped, stepping back in shock.

"Goro Akechi…!? Wait, wasn't he Ken's protégé!?"

"He was… and to top it all off, he's my friend. The fact that he might be the one who killed Ken… it sickens me." Toya took out his phone, opening the Metaverse Navigator and showing it to Makoto. "Akechi has a Palace. The problem is… I have no idea what his keywords are."

"Well, do you want to look for what they might be together?"

"No, not yet. Let's focus on Ishida first. Speaking of Ishida… I have a plan for sending his calling card. We should wait a bit longer, but… I know what I want to do."

"If you have a plan, I'm listening."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over on FFN, I also include the stats of Toya and Makoto, along with anyone else who will be relevant in a fight in the coming chapters. I also post Toya's Confidant ranks with certain other characters. For the sake of keeping the same integrity, I'll start posting those here as well. Didn't really think to do it until now. Anyways, here you go: 
> 
> Diabolos  
LV 38
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eiga - Medium Curse damage to one foe.  
Snap - Medium Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeiga - Medium Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counter - 10% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Dormina - Inflict Sleep (high odds) to 1 foe.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 40)  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.
> 
> Johanna  
LV 36
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freila - Medium Nuclear damage to 1 foe. Technical dmg: Burn/Freeze/Shock.  
Mafrei - Light Nuclear damage to all foes. Technical dmg: Burn/Freeze/Shock.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes. Low chance of Dizzy.  
Diarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of 1 ally.  
Rakukaja - Buff defense of 1 ally for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Parry - 5% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 38)  
Mafreila - Medium Nuclear damage to all foes. Technical dmg: Burn/Freeze/Shock.
> 
> Confidant Ranks:
> 
> ? [The JESTER] - Rank 3  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 7  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 5  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 1  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	28. Genkei HACHIMAN Ishida

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shinjuku**

Late at night, there was one area in Japan that was more noticeably more dangerous than the rest- the biggest red light district in the entire continent, Shinjuku. Staying out late was practically begging for trouble- but unfortunately, there were some people that were forced to do this, one of which being a man by the name Genkei Ishida, mostly known to the world as the director of the SIU. He knew it was dangerous, but he wasn't worried. He had gotten by without many issues before- so tonight wasn't going to be any different. Besides… the people of Japan were too scared of what was to come for anyone to be thinking about jumping him- because tomorrow was the day. The terrifying hacktivist group Medjed was going to come down on Japan, or at least, that's what the world thought. The truth was that Medjed's entire threat was bait for the Phantom Thieves. Will they be able to save Japan from the hackers? Or will they lose credibility and have their justice doubted forever? Regardless of which one happened… Ishida was prepared to make the Phantom Thieves completely devastated.

On his way home, he suddenly heard something. There was the sound of something hitting a lamp post near him, but he thought it was just his imagination. He kept walking along, but then he heard footsteps. Something was coming, but when he turned around… there was nothing. He was nervous now, extremely nervous.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Ishida yelled out, but there was no answer, not in the slightest. His nerves were on edge, and he couldn't stop shaking. Everywhere he looked, he saw some kind of movement, but he didn't know what. His mind was practically playing tricks on him… and he couldn't take it. He turned back around and began to run away, but as he did, he bumped into someone, causing him to fall on his back and look up.

"Going somewhere, director?" Ishida looked up, and saw a boy standing above him- wearing a purple bandana that matches his eyes, with one hand in his pocket.. He whimpered for a moment, before getting up and turning away, but when he did, he saw someone else: a girl wearing a purple bandana, with short hair and red eyes. Suddenly, Ishida remembered something. Red eyes and a purple bandana… that description matches one event that happened months prior.

"You two… you're the Phantom Thieves…!?" The two stood absolutely still, not saying a word. Ishida stared at the one with red eyes in fear, as questions raced through his mind. How did the Phantom Thieves find him…? Did they know he's the one behind the Medjed attack?

"Sir Genkei Ishida, the self-righteous sinner of depravity…" Ishida's eyes widened. They even knew his name… but how was that possible!? He turned his head to the boy he first bumped into, only to see he took his hand out of his pocket, and was holding a calling card. "You force those you have power over to worship you, as if it's your divine right to rule over them. As such, we will make you confess all of your crimes with your own mouth. Yours truly…" The boy wearing the bandana locked eyes with Ishida, scaring him to his very core before suddenly throwing the calling card in his face, followed by both of the bandana-wearing vigilantes utter three words that absolutely terrified Ishida, making him tremble in fear.

"The Phantom Thieves." Speaking their final words, the two of them ran off, leaving Ishida absolutely terrified. Could this really be happening…? He was in a state of panic. Never before was he confronted like this… this was completely new. When he found Ken stalking him, he had the element of surprise, meaning he was fine, but this… this was different. This was completely nerve wracking, and it made him panic. He started running home, terrified for the future.

"_Phantom Thieves… They'll pay for this!_" He thought to himself, as he went on his way.

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Ishida's Palace (Main Hall)**

"I can't believe we did that…" Makoto stood outside the entrance to Ishida's Shrine. She didn't completely doubt Toya's plan, but the chance of it working seemed questionable, at best.

"I'll admit, I was nervous too, but… what were we gonna do, post calling cards all over Shinjuku? I don't think that would end well."

"You're probably right… well, at least this worked. What do we do with the extra bandana though?" Makoto pulled out the bandana she was wearing, it was almost identical to the one Toya had.

"You can keep it, if you want. I'd hide it if I were you though… I mean, if your sister saw it, she'd probably put things together pretty quickly."

"You're right… I don't want to just get rid of it though. Do you think you can hold on to it for me? We might need it again at some point, anyways."

"Oh, sure." Toya held out his hand, taking Makoto's bandana and put it in the pocket opposite to his, before the two began descending down into Ishida's mine. They were both nervous, especially because of how much more difficult this Palace has been compared to Kaneshiro's. However… they were still confident. Even if the trials they went through to get here were all difficult, they still got through, mostly safe and sound, aside from Makoto getting hurt by the dragon, but she felt fine now. They looked at each other one final time, determination burning in their eyes, before they walked into the shrine together, ready to end this.

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Ishida's Palace (Underground Shrine)**

Finally entering Ishida's shrine, Toya and Makoto instantly saw the man they were after- the man they had to take down, Genkei Ishida himself. He was sitting on a throne, reading from a book with his face on it. "I must admit, Phantom Thieves… I am rather impressed that you were able to take down the dragon. You even had the nerve to approach me directly- in both reality and cognition."

"Compliments won't save you now, Ishida." Toya cracked his knuckles, slowly walking forward with Makoto following behind him. "We're ending your reign tonight!"

"Ending my reign? Please. Do you really think you can accomplish that?" Ishida sighed, closing his book and staring at both Toya and Makoto head on. "I am one of the most powerful people in this country. I am the god of the SIU- and with that power, I can control Japan itself!"

"You think you can control Japan by working people as slaves!?" Makoto stepped up, staring right into Ishida. "What's wrong with you!?"

"I don't expect the children of this world to understand… but it's disappointing that the younger sister of Sae Niijima doesn't understand how this world works yet. I was sure she taught you better than this…"

"Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"And there it is… the ignorance of youth. It's so very disappointing… but alas, some people will never learn." Ishida cracked his knuckles for a moment, shooting a glare at both of them. "Phantom Thieves! I will give you one last chance. Leave this place, and you may live to die another day. However, if you choose to stay… I will personally see to it that you die here!" Toya and Makoto didn't falter for a moment, stepping up further.

"Like hell we'll give in to you!" Toya's weapon materialized in his hands as he yelled, his grit showing true as he refused to fail here. This was everything to him… his last request from his brother. He couldn't fail here- he had to go on.

"Very well…" Suddenly, Ishida snapped his fingers, and the entire room shook. Toya and Makoto jumped back, and noticed that the room around them was getting bigger, or rather, longer. For some reason, Ishida was getting so much further away, without even moving.

"What the hell are you planning!?" Toya materialized his weapon in his hands, staring down Ishida, who was letting out a sinister laugh.

"What, do you think I'll rush into you? No, I know exactly how this works… I know exactly how this cognitive world works!" Ishida raised his fist into the air, as his body suddenly turned black and red, and began to enlarge. Toya and Makoto reactively stepped back, as Ishida finished his transformation. He was massive now- and to top it off, he was made of clear crystals, smirking at Toya and Makoto. "You only have tonight to take my treasure and change my heart! That means all I have to do is protect my treasure with my life!" Ishida held his book up in the air, staring down the pair of Thieves and putting it behind him. At that moment, the two of them realized the significance of the book… that was his Treasure! But now that they found it, they had to deal with the monstrosity that was Ishida's massive, crystallized form.

Taking off her mask, Makoto mounted on top of Johanna with Toya getting on right behind her, and the two drove towards Ishida. All they had to do was close the distance between them… then, they could break him apart, and end things easily. However, that wasn't going to be such an easy feat. As the two of them drove forward, Ishida held his hand out, as gemstones materialized around him, before flying straight towards the pair. Toya took out his weapon and stood up, pointing forward and carefully firing at the gems. With precise aim, he was able to stop a majority of the gems before they even got close to them. With an annoyed look, Ishida squinted his eyes as dozens of gemstones of various different shapes and colors appeared out of thin air, all flying towards the pair. Toya quickly took off his mask, his Persona appearing behind him and firing at all of the various gemstones at once, taking them down as they came close, with Toya shooting the rest down himself. Any that got close enough, Toya was able to deflect with his blade, but taking the recoil of that was enough to slow him and Makoto down on their path.

"Persistent brats…" Ishida looked even more annoyed now, as he held his hand up and snapped his fingers. Toya was confused for a moment, before looking around him. There were large crystals lodged into the walls, scattered across the entire room, and they were vibrating. As Makoto drove by one of them, it began to suddenly extend out of the wall, trying to pierce through the two of them. Makoto looked to her left and noticed this, before speeding up to dodge out of the way. It was a close shave, but they were able to just barely get out of the way, avoiding getting punctured by the crystals, but Ishida wasn't done with the attack yet. Up ahead, there were countless more crystals that were lodged into not only the walls, but even the ceiling. Toya and Makoto both scanned the room, looking for all of the crystals as they came close to them, preparing themselves to speed up whenever one got too close.

"Is that all you've got, Ishida!? You won't be able to stall forever with tricks like that!" Toya aimed his weapon directly at Ishida as he yelled to him, before firing directly at him. However, Ishida was able to simply deflect every single bullet, glaring at the two of them.

"Do you really think that's all I can manage? The ignorance of youth…" Suddenly, Ishida's entire crystalized body began to emanate a strange reflection, before suddenly changing from being completely clear to pitch black, as he held his hand forward. "Fine. I'll show you something more that I'm capable of!" After shouting out, Ishida suddenly fired rapid blasts of dark magic from his hands, aimed right towards Toya.

"Diabolos!" Taking off his mask again, he conjured his own dark magic, firing it directly at Ishida's blasts. As the two blasts of magic collided, a large cloud of smoke suddenly filled the entire area, rendering the opposing forces unable to see each other. Ishida began to cough, as the black color faded from his body, reverting back to its original color.

"Damn it… it's been too long. I can't control that power forever… I need time before I can enter that form again..." Ishida looked straight ahead, staring at the cloud of smoke. "I suppose that doesn't matter though. That untrained power was more than powerful enough to take care of those pesky Phantom Thieves!"

"Are you sure about that?" Suddenly, Ishida heard a girl's voice, before seeing Makoto's Persona charging through the smoke, with her still riding it and Toya still standing on top of it, as Ishida make direct contact with the boy.

"Untrained power? I knew it. You're a complete weakling, who relies on others to take care of things for him!" Toya yelled towards him, after hearing everything Ishida said. With the color being gone from his body, Makoto had nothing to fear from Ishida anymore, as she began to drive forward as fast as she possibly could, gaining more and more speed by the second. Ishida grunted, before beginning to laugh.

"Oh, please! You think you're suddenly stronger than me because you can deflect your own kind of magic!? Don't worry, I have something deadlier for you!" Ishida grit his teeth, before his body suddenly began to shine brightly, before shifting color again- but instead of black, this time he was completely white. He held his hand up to the sky, before swiping in front of him, before a blast of holy magic came flying at the two of them. Toya tried to deflect it, but his dark magic proved no match for it, as it completely engulfed his attack. Makoto grit her teeth and tried to get out of the way, but the blast was already too close to them. The attack hit them dead on, causing them to spiral back, spinning out and falling to the floor, sliding across it as their bodies ached in pain. That attack was stronger than anything they had ever come across before. Ishida smirked, staring at the bodies of the two who had opposed him, as they desperately tried to get up. "I warned you. I even gave you the option to leave, yet you chose to stay, and look where you ended up."

"I'm not… done yet…!" Toya began to try and pick himself up, but before he could, a gemstone was hurled into his face, sending him flying back, his mask falling off of his face as he looked up to Ishida.

"Those eyes… they're the same as your mother's. Of course, you probably don't remember her anymore."

"My mother…? What do you know about her…!?"

"Oh, I'll never forget the look on your poor brother's face… when he found out that she was murdered." Toya's eyes widened. His mother was… murdered?

"How do you know that his mother… was murdered…?" Makoto tried getting up, but she felt so weak… that attack took everything out of her. She tried picking herself up, but she couldn't.

"When Ken learned that his mother was murdered, he was distraught. He devoted every day of his life towards working under me… and as such, he became quite the detective! However, no matter how hard he tried, he never found out who the murderer was…" Ishida began to laugh, looking down at the two of them. "Oh, I'm quite proud of myself for that one! Not even one bit of evidence was leftover!"

"No evidence…? Wait, are you saying that you…!?"

"Yes, boy. I am the reason your mother died… but that's not all. You see, when Ken became so devoted, I was amazed. But what amazed me even more was when I learned that he had a little brother, one that who he had cared for so much, even though he was never able to see him." Ishida's face suddenly became completely sinister, staring at Toya with evil, piercing eyes. "So I took the liberty of uniting the two of you, once again." Toya said nothing. He was in shock- and practically trembling with emotion. The things that Ishida said… they could only mean one possible thing.

"My father…" Toya found the strength to slowly stand up, a purple spark emitting from his mask. Makoto looked back to him, seeing the purple spark and instantly shivering in fear. "He died… because of you!?"

"Oh, and with his death, it was perfected! The art of causing a mental shutdown… after that kill, I was unstoppable! Nobody knew how to deal with the symptoms of their cognition breaking apart!" Toya stared at Ishida for a moment, before taking a step forward, piecing things together in his mind.

"A mental shutdown…" Toya clenched his fists tightly, as Makoto's eyes widened. When she heard Toya's broken voice, and saw his eyes… she knew exactly where he was going with this. "That's what happened to Ken… wasn't it?"

"As good of a worker as he was… he found out that I was up to something. Therefore, I had no choice but to eliminate him, as well. It's a shame, really…" Ishida smirked, before snapping his fingers, causing some kind of an essence to flow around him. The misty essence slowly took form next to him, taking the shape of a human- one that Toya recognized from first glance… his very own brother. "He was so valuable! With so much potential, to become even greater! He truly was in a league of his own… and you even have that potential too. But alas…" Ishida smirked again, making a fist with his hand, as Ken's body began to shine, before turning to crystal. "He died opposing me. And now… it's time for you to do the same." Toya didn't say a word… he just watched in complete silence. Ishida didn't waste even one more second, as he held his hand out, charging another blast of holy magic, before firing it at the two of them. Toya closed his eyes, digging deep into himself, trying desperately to find some kind of an answer- anything that could help him live… that could help him save Makoto… anything that could honor his brother.

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**? ? ? ? ?**

When Toya opened his eyes again, he found himself in the same dark room he was in the night after defeating the zombie dragon Ishida had summoned. It was just as hot as last time, but… he didn't mind it so much this time.

"_Please… help…"_

Toya's eyes widened. This voice…

"_The only one… potential…"_

He didn't understand it.

"_Save The… untimely demise…"_

Whose voice was this…?

"_Unlock… secret of The…"_

Toya looked to his left, and he saw the door of light again- the same one he used to leave this room before. However, this time… there was a figure standing in it. It was a small figure with long hair, but… that's all he could make out. Was this the source of that voice? He didn't know, but… he began to walk towards it.

"_**Are you just going to walk away?" **_Toya's eyes widened. He turned around, and saw the throne that he saw last time, the one he went to sit on the last time he was there. This time, however… there was something floating above it. It was a lanky figure, condescendingly looking down at Toya as it spoke. "_**You've finally found him. The man who took everything from you…"**_ Toya's head began to ache, as he held on to it, grunting in pain as he was brought down to his knees. "_**Will you sit by and let him kill you, as well?" **_Toya yelled out in pain, before looking up, staring at the figure.

"No… I won't… I won't let things end here!"

"_**So be it. Now, let the contract be signed." **_Toya began to slowly walk forward toward the throne, stumbling from side to side as he held onto his head, still experiencing excruciating pain. "_**I am thou, thou art I… Thou hast seen how one may change. Thou hath changed… It is thy first step in learning the truth." **_Toya made it to the throne, turning around. He saw the figure in the doorway, one more time, before slowly beginning to sit on the throne. "_**Thou must bear thine inner power of The Jester…"**_ Toya was confused. The Jester…? What did that mean? Before he could process it, he finally felt his body touch the throne, sitting down on top of it, as images raced through his mind. However, while this scared him last time… now, he was just angry. He felt his blood boiling more and more with every single image that ran through his head, before feeling a mask on his face. "_**Now… give in to that primal fury! Break the chains of your own heart… and show the world the true power of Hunger!" **_Toya gripped the mask tightly, as he felt… different. He felt stronger, and… free. Everything that had previously restrained him seemed to be missing at this exact moment in time, and instead… it was only him, and his goal. He began to rip the mask off of his face, a devilish smile present on his face as he uttered two words.

"Come… **MEPHISTO!**"

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Ishida's Palace (Underground Shrine)**

With a loud yell, a purple flame erupted around Toya, eviscerating the blast of holy magic before it ever made contact with him. Makoto was pushed back by the sudden burst of flame, before she looked up, staring at Toya, who had a different outfit on. He was wearing black leather that was slightly faded purple- the same color as his eyes, and he was wearing two gauntlets.

"Genkei Ishida… You…" Toya was looking down, as his blade materialized in his hands, his body slightly twitching with every passing moment.

"What is the meaning of this…!?" Ishida panicked, as the color faded from his body, turning clear once more. He grit his teeth, trying to materialize gemstones from around him, but before he could, he heard the sound of something cracking. He turned his head, and saw the crystalized body of Ken, with a hook in its head- a hook that had a wire attached to the end of it. He followed the wire with his eyes, and found that it was coming from one of Toya's gauntlets. Toya pulled his hand back, as the crystalized head began flying towards him. Gripping his blade tightly, Toya held it in the air, waiting for a moment, before smashing it into the crystal, breaking it into hundreds of tiny pieces. Ishida and Makoto both looked at Toya with shock and horror, as he looked up, staring directly into Ishida's eyes, revealing his blood-shot purple eyes, that had a new golden outline around them, as well as a twisted, demented smile. Ishida was terrified, far more than he was when the Phantom Thieves confronted him. Toya uttered one sentence, while staring straight through Ishida's soul.

"**You are the trash of society."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto's inclusion is half the reason I remembered to include stats on this website as well.
> 
> Mephisto  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Pandaemonium - Automatically applies Call of Chaos on user at start of battle.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Oblivion - Severe Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	29. Call of Chaos

**August 20th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Ishida's Palace (Underground Shrine)**

"What the hell are you…!?" Ishida yelled, his eyes wide as he looked at Toya. He was holding onto his head with one hand and gripping his sword tighter than ever in the other, having bloodshot eyes and a demented smile the entire time. It was terrifying to look at… almost as if he was a different person. However, even though Toya was staring at Ishida as if he wanted to murder him, Makoto was still more scared than he was. She knew Toya for months at this point- and they had been through so much. He was always so caring- and helped her through so much without even realizing. Makoto was a different person because of him… she saw the entire world differently now. She used to care only about results- and that lead to her getting herself into horrible situations, namely when she was kidnapped by Kaneshiro. But now… she didn't think like that, and she loved it. That was only possible because of Toya, but now… it's like Toya wasn't even there anymore.

"Don't you get it? I'm free!" Toya gripped his head tighter, laughing maniacally as he stared down Ishida. "Justice… morality… to hell with that shit!" Toya suddenly ripped off his mask, the purple flame around him growing even larger as he laughed louder. "Power is **ALL** that matters in this world!"

"Toya…" Makoto was in complete shock. The way he talked… that wasn't Toya at all. It was like he was possessed- like someone took control of him, but… what?

"Do you know what you put me through, Ishida…? Do you know what it's like to go through life the way I did? A single father, and a famous brother… in one word… it's **TORTURE.**" Toya's purple flame sparked even brighter, the sheer force of it enough to shake the entire room. "No matter what you want to do, or how you want to do it… the only acceptable outcome is **PERFECTION**, and **ANYTHING** less is considered **FAILURE. **But the worst part about it is… there is **NOTHING **you can do about it. You can't even be angry- because you have pity for your single parent, as they mourn the loss of their love every single day. All of that hatred, that primal fury… that all gets directed towards yourself." Suddenly, Toya started to chuckle softly, before breaking out into a fit of maniacal laughter. "But now…? Now, I'm **DONE** berating myself with my own hatred. I don't give a damn about my father's expectations… or my brother's wishes. Everything I'm going to do at this point in time will be of my own volition... " Toya gripped his mask tightly, grinning as he stared at Ishida. "The first thing I'm going to do… is **DESTROY YOU!**" Tearing his mask off of his face, he summoned Mephisto in front of Makoto and Ishida. They both gasped at the sight of it… Diabolos was creepy in its own right, but Mephisto… Mephisto was bone chilling. Between it's long, lanky body, its condescending pose, and lack of emotion… it was scary for completely different reasons, and the fact that Toya was suddenly using it so casually made Makoto even more scared. Toya held his hand out, aiming at Ken's crystallized body, before Mephisto snapped its fingers as a large, purple gun materialized in front of it, spinning around once before holding its hands forward, shooting a massive bolt of lightning out at Ken's body, breaking it apart.

"Damn it… fine then! Come at me, I'll show you what it means to go against me!"

"You took everything from me…and now I'm gonna do the same to you. I'll break every single gem on your body, one piece at a time!" Toya took his hand off of his face, clenching his fist before rushing forward on his own, dashing straight towards Ishida. "**I'LL CRUSH YOU!" **Gripping his blade tightly, he quickly ran ahead, faster than he had ever run before. Ishida grit his teeth before bringing forth as many gemstones as he possibly could, hurling them all directly towards Toya, who was suddenly gripping his mask tightly. "Ascend, **MEPHISTO**!" Toya's body was surrounded by a dark purple flame, as he summoned his new Persona again. Mephisto conjured a powerful blast of wind magic, and then fired it off, sending all of the gems flying back at Ishida. Unable to stop the redirected attack, Ishida took the full force of it, cracking his crystallized skin.

"Damn you…! I don't give a damn about your new power, I'm still going to win!" Ishida clenched his fist, as several crystals extended down from the ceiling, shooting down to the ground. Toya smirked and put his fist forward, a grappling hook flying out of his gauntlet and hitting one of the crystals, letting him fly through the air towards it. Once he got close to it, he yanked his hand back to pull his grappling hook out, shooting it towards another crystal and swinging through the air. "What the hell is this!? Damn it… fine! If you really want to die that badly… I'll show you what true power looks like!"

"**Bring it!**" Toya shot out his grappling hook and hit a crystal right closer to Ishida, flying straight towards him. Ishida's skin turned pitch black as he held his hand out, a large blast of dark magic flying towards Toya. Toya crossed his arms in front of him, covering his face as he collided directly with the blast of magic, gritting his teeth as he made contact.

"Try surviving THIS, Phantom Thief!" Ishida suddenly turned completely white, and began to glow. He was charging an attack, a powerful blast of holy magic being prepared. This was his trump card… his ultimate attack. While Toya was stuck dealing with the dark magic, he would finish him off with his holy magic.

"Toya…!" Makoto tried desperately to get up. She had to help… she had to save Toya. However… something was up. She couldn't even see Toya… was he already gone…? No, he couldn't be… that blast couldn't possibly be enough to finish him off, but… where was he? While she was searching, Ishida was almost finished charging his attack, but that's when he saw it. Coming out of the blast itself, he saw Toya, flying through the air. His body was covered in bruises from taking the blast, and he looked like he was in so much pain, but he kept going. His eyes were even more bloodshot than before, and his smile was horrifying.

"What!? How did you-" Ishida was suddenly cut off when Toya fired shots right into both of his shoulders and legs. Ishida tried to move, but he couldn't. He was completely stuck in place, as he watched Toya land on the ground right in front of him. Toya smirked, and charged right into him, cutting right through his body, breaking the throne in the process. Suddenly… he felt a thrill, and cut through Ishida again, causing him to scream out in pain. Hearing Ishida's suffering… it pleased Toya. He started to laugh, and kept dashing through Ishida's body, cutting apart more and more of his crystallized body with every dash, as both the screams of pain and maniacal laughter got louder and louder. Toya broke Ishida apart, the gems that made up his body all cracked, until suddenly, Toya stopped. He stood still in front of Ishida for a moment, before slowly walking towards his broken and mangled body.

"Mephisto… **EXECUTE HIM!**" Ripping his mask off, Toya summoned his Persona, who grabbed Ishida's face directly. Toya panted for a moment before grunting making a fist. "You call those pathetic blasts from earlier magic…!? I'll show you… **OBLIVION!" **Quickly charging a blast, Mephisto unleashed a blast of dark magic with the hand he was using to hold Ishida's face, making direct contact with him and sending him flying, breaking the throne he was originally sitting atop of and into a wall. He fell to the floor in pain, as he returned to his original size and form. For all intents and purposes… Ishida was finished. Toya stood still for a moment, taking deep breaths and panting. The golden outline around his eyes flashed off and on, before he walked forward, grabbing the book that was on the throne and standing above Ishida.

"I don't understand… How could you be so strong…?" Toya said nothing. Millions of emotions ran through his mind, as Makoto slowly picked herself back up, finally regaining her strength and slowly making her way forward.

"Allow me to enlighten you..." Toya pointed his blade forward, pressing the tip to Ishida's forehead. He held his finger on the trigger, as he condescendingly looked down on Ishida. "Corrupting the government… killing the people who got in your way… enslaving everyone who worked under you… This is how such idiocy ends." This was everything… this was how he redeemed his brother. He could stop the corruption in the government… he could save Japan from the fear of Medjed… he could finally end this chapter of his life. However, before he could do anything, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Makoto, a concerned look on her face. They exchanged glances for one moment… and Toya's arm started shaking. His blade fell out of his hand, as the golden outline around his eyes faded completely.

"I'll do it… I'll confess to everything. I'll tell everyone that I'm behind the Medjed threat."

"Then go. Go back to your real self… and confess." Makoto stepped in front of Toya, staring down at Ishida. With a nod, Ishida faded, returning to his real self. It was over… Ishida's change of heart was going to happen.

"I…" Toya's voice was shaky. Something happened to him… it was like he lost control of himself for a bit. He almost killed someone… even though it's the person in question was the person who ordered the deaths of his entire family. Suddenly, the entire mine started shaking.

"There's no time. We have to go, now!" Makoto turned around and started to run out of the mine, but Toya stood still for a moment. After hesitating for a moment, he followed her, running out of the mine.

**August 20th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shinjuku**

Escaping the mine and returning to the real world, Toya and Makoto took a sigh of relief… one that was rather short lived. There was nobody else around… it was just the two of them, with Toya now holding a piece of paper. He picked it up and looked closer at it, reading what was written.

"It's… a letter of inauguration, stating Ishida's position as the director of the SIU. This must be his treasure…" Toya's eyes closed, as he nearly collapsed to the ground. He was in so much mental pain, and his body was absolutely exhausted… he could hardly move. However, before he fell to the ground, he felt Makoto grab him, gently holding him up on her shoulder. The two looked at each other for a moment, before he turned his head away and closed his eyes, feeling absolutely ashamed. "I'm sorry… I'm so weak…"

"Weak? You're not weak at all…"

"What are you talking about? You saw what I did… the monster that I became."

"I did… but I heard what you said, too…" Toya's eyes opened back up. He had completely forgotten everything he said before until just then. "I used to live like that too, you know… with everyone having high expectations of me. You're right. It is complete torture… you get judged for everything. Your grades… your friends… even your interests. If it's not beneficial for your future, then… they think it's a waste. I believed that for almost my entire life… but you showed me that I was wrong. I finally figured out who I really am… and I thought I was weak for not realizing and embracing who I was earlier. But I'm not weak… and neither are you. No matter how weak you think you are for losing your temper… I promise you, you're not."

"Makoto…" Toya was speechless. He felt so many different emotions in that very moment. In his moment of weakness and confusion… he started to cry, just a bit. Out of every emotion he felt… he definitely felt thankful, at the very least. There was something wrong with him… and they both knew it, but they would get through it… somehow, together. Makoto helped Toya along as they made their way to the subway station. However, once they got there, they ran into a slight problem… there was only one train left, headed to Shibuya. There wouldn't be any others running until morning.

"You can stay at my place if you can't get home, Makoto."

"Are you sure…?"

"Yeah. Nobody is using Ken's bed, anyways." The two nodded. Makoto felt a little awkward about staying over, but… there was no other option. With how tired the two of them were, they wouldn't even be able to do anything. They had a long, tiring night… not to mention, Makoto was still in a little bit of pain from earlier. While they were on the train, she ended up falling asleep, with her head naturally leaning against Toya. It was a little uncomfortable for him, but at the same time, he kind of enjoyed it. He slowly wrapped one arm around Makoto, doing his best not to wake her up. He stared at her for a moment, before turning away and putting a hand on his face, rubbing his eyes as the train stopped. He thought about waking her up, but instead, he mustered the strength to carry her all the way back.

**August 20th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Finally making it home, Toya took a sigh of relief. His day was all over the place, but… he was glad that most of it was over. He slowly carried Makoto upstairs, placing her down in Ken's bed. She was completely passed out… Toya wasn't surprised though. It took a lot of willpower for him not to fall over and pass out right next to her, but he thought it would be way too awkward in the morning for that to be a good idea. He slowly stumbled out of the room, making it into his own and laying down on his own bed. He wanted to think about everything that happened, but… he fell asleep instantly, before he even got a chance to. Everything between Ishida and Mephisto… it could wait until tomorrow.


	30. Shock Factor

**August 21st, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

Slowly opening her eyes, Makoto woke up… confused. It took her a minute to remember that she didn't actually go home last night… she stayed at Toya's place, and was in his brother's bed. It took her a moment, but her eyes suddenly widened in realization and fear. She took out her phone… and saw 5 missed calls from her sister. She called her back, gulping and praying that she wouldn't actually answer. "Where the hell have you been!?" She wasn't lucky.

"I-I'm sorry, everything is fine! I'm just… at a friend's house."

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't going to be home? Do you know how worried I've been!?"

"I-I didn't mean to! We were out too late, and there was only one train left for the night, and it went to Shibuya. I meant to call you, but… I think I fell asleep on the train. I woke up at my friend's house though." There was a pause. Makoto was nearly sweating… she knew how angry her sister could get if she had a reason to be. She heard her sigh, before beginning to respond in a more soft tone.

"This _friend_ of yours… who are they? What's their name?"

"His name is… Toya Kazero." On the other side of the phone, Sae freaked out for a moment.

"T-Toya!? Wait, are you two…"

"W-We're just friends, Sis! He let me stay in his brother's room for the night…" Makoto paused for a moment, before realizing something. "Wait… Do you know Toya?"

"Well…" Sae sighed. She didn't want to tell Makoto the truth about Toya's circumstances… not yet. "I worked with his brother, Ken. The four of us… actually have some history together. Though, I'm sure you don't really remember much of it…"

"Wait… we all knew each other…? I mean, I knew I recognized Toya from somewhere, but… I could never remember what it was."

"Years ago, when our father was still alive and we had more free time, we all did aikido together. Ken was my sparring partner for years… and the two of us always brought you along."

"Wait… I've known Toya since I was just a child…?"

"Yes. You two got along pretty well too." Suddenly, Sae started to laugh a bit. "I'll never forget when you two tried to imitate the moves me and Ken were doing… I'm glad you found each other again. There's something I need to talk to you about though… and actually, you knowing Toya might be a big help in that."

"What do you mean?"

"Toya has… a natural talent for detective work, much like his brother did. There's something I'd like for him to look into… something that's happening today."

"Something happening today…?"

"The director of the SIU called for a sudden emergency press conference… completely out of nowhere. Do you think you and Toya can watch it? It's in half an hour."

"I mean… yeah, we can watch it, but how would Toya watching it help you?"

"The director of the SIU would never call for a press conference under normal circumstances… it's too odd of a change. There's a chance that the Phantom Thieves are behind it, and if anyone can get more details… it's Toya. He _is_ the brother of the greatest detective we've seen in ages, after all…"

"I'll see what I can do…"

"Thank you. I have to get going, but please, tell me if you figure anything out, okay?"

"I will. See you tonight…" The two of them hung up. Ishida called for a press conference… it had to be because of last night. This was happening so fast though… then again, Medjed's strike was supposed to be today. She got out of bed and left the room, walking towards Toya's room, knocking on the door. "Toya? Are you awake?"

"...No…" Makoto sighed, laughing a little before knocking on the door harder.

"Come on Toya, open up already."

"The door is open, just come in…" A loud yawn could be heard from the other side of the door. Makoto opened the door, seeing Toya almost entirely under a blanket, his eyes were still closed and his head was against the pillow. Makoto sat down on the bed next to him, gently shaking him to try waking him up.

"You have to get up, Toya. Something is happening today."

"Are you sure I have to…? Can't I just sleep in…?"

"Toya, Ishida's holding a press conference. Can you at least be awake for it?" Toya's eyes opened up slowly, as he picked himself up, looking towards Makoto.

"A press conference…?"

"Oh, that wakes you up, huh?" Makoto smirked ever so softly, pushing Toya around a little bit more. "It's in less than half an hour now. Come on, get up!"

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up…" Toya rolled around in bed for a moment, before finally sitting up. "Just let me take a shower… I'll be more awake after that."

"Go ahead… just be ready fast, okay?" Toya nodded, walking away. Makoto hadn't told him about what her sister said yet, but… she would, once he was more awake. But, for now… she'd just have to roll with it.

**August 21st, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya**

After some time has passed and Toya finished waking up, the two headed outside, only to see Ishida in person, standing behind a podium with an unsure look on his face. The two of them ran closer to him, staying just barely outside of the massive crowd of confused civilians and paparazzi.

"Thank you all for coming on short notice. As you all know… Medjed's threatened strike on our country was meant to happen today. However… as you can all clearly see, nothing has happened. Do not believe anyone who says that Medjed has done anything… I can confirm that they haven't done a thing to us." The sound of pictures being taken and the murmuring of the crowd quickly filled the entire street. "However… I regret to inform you all that the reason Medjed isn't attacking… is because their threat was empty to begin with." Suddenly, the crowd burst out into confusion, the only two exceptions being Toya and Makoto. "I know this… because the one behind the threat… was myself. I did this… I set the entire country into a state of panic… all because I wanted to bait the Phantom Thieves out into the public…" Ishida held his head down for a moment. He sounded so… ashamed. Toya knew it was genuine, but… he still knew it wasn't entirely because of his own free will. "There's… more, as well. There's one person who had an idea of what I was up to… one person who knew too much about this plan… the late detective Ken Kazero. As a result… I was the one who ordered his death…" The crowd was set into an uproar. Everyone's thoughts on the government suddenly shifted…

For a moment, time stood absolutely still. Toya stared directly at Ishida… as an odd mixture of emotions was concocted in his heart. He was satisfied, but… he was still so angry. However, overpowering both of those emotions… was worry. There were going to be repercussions… Toya knew that all too well. Toya stood still for a moment, before beginning to move again, ever so slowly. Ishida opened his mouth to speak again, but as he did, his eyes suddenly widened, for a brief moment. His pupils seemingly disappeared, as a small splash of red came out of one side of his head… as the other side of it seemingly exploded, blood and brain matter flying out. Time began to move normally again, as the crowd screamed in horror. Toya turned to Makoto, who looked just as terrified. He grabbed her hand and ran out of the crowd, listening back to hear the screams of horror, and the sounds of pictures being taken. Toya couldn't believe what he saw… seemingly out of nowhere, Ishida… died…?

**August 21st, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Leblanc**

RYUJI: Holy shit…

RYUJI: Did you guys see that press conference!?

ANN: First you watch the news… and now a press conference?

ANN: Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard in the pyramid?

RYUJI: Oh, shut up and just listen!

RYUJI: Medjed was fake all along.

AKIRA: What…!?

RYUJI: Some guy just admitted to it being an empty threat. I think he said he's the director of the… uhh…

RYUJI: SI something…? I don't remember.

ANN: Okay, I just looked it up. Apparently it was the director of the Special Investigations Unit.

ANN: But… why would he pretend to be Medjed…?

YUSUKE: I don't think that should be our main concern.

AKIRA: You're right.

AKIRA: Futaba just woke up… I'm gonna make sure she doesn't do anything.

RYUJI: Wait, what?

RYUJI: How is this not our main concern!?

YUSUKE: Someone in his position would never admit to this, much like how Madarame never confessed to his crimes.

YUSUKE: That is, until we took his Treasure.

ANN: Wait…

ANN: You think Hazard did this!?

RYUJI: That's…

RYUJI: Something else happened at the press conference…

AKIRA: What do you mean…?

RYUJI: The director…

RYUJI: He got assassinated at the press conference.

ANN: What!?

YUSUKE: So Hazard changed his heart… and then the director was murdered…?

YUSUKE: Is there a chance that it's just a coincidence?

RYUJI: Maybe, but…

RYUJI: I started thinking about it, and it doesn't make sense.

AKIRA: Morgana wanted me to tell you he's impressed you're thinking for once.

RYUJI: I SWEAR TO GOD

ANN: Focus, Ryuji!

ANN: What doesn't make sense about it!?

RYUJI: Okay, okay…

RYUJI: Like I was saying, it doesn't make sense. The director was killed by a gunshot to his head. Why would Hazard even go through the effort of changing his heart just to shoot him…?

RYUJI: But then… I heard something the director said.

YUSUKE: What did he say?

RYUJI: You guys remember Ken Kazero? That one detective we were framed for killing?

AKIRA: Yeah, why?

RYUJI: The director said… he's the one who ordered his death.

RYUJI: It was the last thing he said before he got killed.

ANN: Oh my god…

ANN: And our one lead for who Hazard could be is…

AKIRA: Ken's brother…

AKIRA: We can't overlook this.

AKIRA: Toya's in the same class as me and Ann.

AKIRA: As soon as school starts again, we have to start looking into him more.

YUSUKE: I agree.

YUSUKE: I cannot be much of a help when it comes to investigating someone through school, though…

AKIRA: That's fine.

AKIRA: We'll fill you in on anything we find about him.

**August 21st, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Shibuya**

AKECHI: It's done.

? ? ?: Were you seen?

AKECHI: Not by a single person.

? ? ?: Good.

? ? ?: Damn it…

? ? ?: How the hell did Ishida get found out by the Phantom Thieves already!?

? ? ?: We need a lead!

Akechi stared at his phone for a moment. There was one possible lead…

* * *

_Akechi: "You want me to kill Ken…!?"_

_Ishida: "There's no other option. If he's still alive by the time he comes to work tomorrow, he'll tell everyone about what I have planned. It has to be tonight."_

* * *

Akechi killed Ken that night… he killed him before he could see anyone… anyone except for one person. The only person Ken could have possibly told in the time period he was actually alive… was Toya. That would mean Toya is a Phantom Thief… but that didn't make any sense… or did it…? Akechi got weird vibes from Toya the last time they saw each other… but they weren't vibes that made him think he was a Phantom Thief. He was too independent… the Phantom Thieves were a group- not one singular person, so he _couldn't_ be one… unless it was all an act? There certainly was a shroud of mystery behind Toya… perhaps it would take more looking into.

**August 21st, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

MAKOTO: I'm still so shaken up…

MAKOTO: Thank you for getting me out of there so fast…

TOYA: It's fine.

TOYA: I didn't really want to be there any longer, anyways.

TOYA: Did you get home alright?

MAKOTO: Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago.

MAKOTO: Are you going to be okay alone tonight…?

TOYA: Yeah. I'm fine.

TOYA: What about you? Are you gonna be okay tonight after seeing that?

MAKOTO: Yeah, I'll be fine.

MAKOTO: Sis is here, anyways.

MAKOTO: That reminds me… she called this morning.

MAKOTO: Apparently you and I have known each other for even longer than we thought…

TOYA: What do you mean?

MAKOTO: Your brother and my sister apparently used to practice aikido together, and they'd bring us along.

TOYA: I completely forgot about that… I don't have many memories of what actually happened there.

TOYA: Wait, we've known each other for that long!?

MAKOTO: It surprises me too…

MAKOTO: It's weird to think about how we suddenly met again…

TOYA: It's definitely weird, but.

TOYA: Well… I'm definitely not complaining about it.

MAKOTO: I'm not either…

MAKOTO: Oh, one more thing before I forget.

MAKOTO: You're aware of the school trip coming up for your grade, right?

TOYA: Oh, yeah. It's… Hawaii, right?

TOYA: Why bring that up?

MAKOTO: Apparently I'll have to go as well, as a chaperone.

TOYA: They're making a 3rd year chaperone…?

TOYA: That's… weird.

MAKOTO: I know…

MAKOTO: I mean, I get why they're doing it, but still…

MAKOTO: Anyways, I thought you'd want to know.

TOYA: Definitely. It was gonna be pretty lonely without you there anyways.

TOYA: But ugh… School is already fast approaching.

TOYA: We barely have any time left at all.

MAKOTO: I know…

MAKOTO: We've been pretty busy this summer, haven't we?

TOYA: Yeah…

TOYA: Hey, let's do something tomorrow.

TOYA: Preferably something in the real world and not the cognitive one…

TOYA: Would you be okay with that?

MAKOTO: I'd like that.

MAKOTO: I'll meet you tomorrow by the station then?

TOYA: Sounds good! I'm gonna get some sleep now then…

TOYA: Goodnight.

MAKOTO: Goodnight!

* * *


	31. Detective Work

**August 31st, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Midnight - Graveyard**

This was it… the final few hours of freedom before school's return. Around the country, students spent their last few hours in sadness, not wanting to go back to school. Summer felt especially short this year… especially for Shujin's latest transfer student, Toya Kazero. He spent a majority of the summer playing hero… or at least, that's what he had thought to himself at first. However… his last trip into the cognitive world made him feel… different about it. He didn't think of himself as a hero as much after that… he felt like the complete opposite at times. He'd find himself constantly thinking back to old conversations… namely, the short lived conversation he had with Ryuji, where he called him a psychopath. Those words… they ran through his head over and over. Is that really what he was…? When he was dead and buried, would he be remembered for what a select group of people think of him? He didn't know, but… in recent times, it felt like it was becoming more and more true. Maybe he was a psychopath, just hiding under the mask of a hero all this time… he just didn't know anymore. He looked around, examining all of the marked gravestones around him, before stepping in front of one in particular, kneeling down in front of it.

"Hey… Ken." Toya stared at the gravestone for a moment. This was all that was truly left of his brother… a marked grave, in a sea of hundreds of gravestones that, on first glance, look the exact same. "Things have, been, uh… different, since you… left. This summer… well, it didn't go the way I expected it to… nor did it go the way I wanted." Toya sighed, wiping his eyes before continuing to speak. "I did it. I stopped Ishida's crimes… and he even admitted to them. But… I feel like I lost a piece of myself doing it. I feel like something is just… missing, from me… but I don't know what." Toya looked slowly stood up, looking down on his Ken's gravestone. "I don't know if what I'm doing is right anymore, Ken. Ishida… he died. I didn't kill him, but… I don't think he would have died if I didn't make him confess his crimes. Don't get me wrong… I hate him. He killed you… I can never forgive him for doing that, but… does that mean it's justified if he dies…?" Toya looked up to the sky. It was really late, and he was getting tired already. He took out his phone to check the time… it was already about to be midnight. He sighed, before taking one more look at Ken's gravestone. "I'm gonna make things right, Ken. I'll find a way… to justify everything that I caused. Then… then I'll have honored your death. I swear…" Toya began to turn away, but before he did, he slowly pulled out Ishida's Treasure, the piece of paper acknowledging his position. He stared at it for a moment… before he began to fold it up, and hiding it near Ken's grave. Next time he came here… things would be different. He knew it.

**September 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

The first day of school… and to nobody's surprise, there wasn't a single person who was actually excited. However, there was one group who was actually interested in this day… the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, who made their name known all around Japan, and for good reason. The ability to "take someone's heart" and force them to confess their crimes… it was terrifying. However, in reality, the general public had nothing to fear, despite how scary it might look. The Phantom Thieves wouldn't go out of their way to target someone for no reason… but today, they had a reason to look into someone, someone they've been considering for a long time: a student by the name of Toya Kazero. They've been suspicious of him for a while, but their suspicions were higher than ever now. They had a reason to believe that he was the man in the black mask… the Metaverse user who was causing psychotic breakdowns, and mental shutdowns. It had to be him… they just needed to prove it. They couldn't just target someone for no reason, after all.

Akira and Ann sat in their classroom for a few minutes, before finally, Toya showed up, walking to his seat behind the two of them. Their eyes followed him the entire way, but he didn't seem to notice them staring at him. He looked rather tired, and unmotivated to even move, which could be said for just about everyone else who showed up to the school. The two of them quickly took out their phone, looking at their group chat.

ANN: Okay, he showed up.

FUTABA: Wait, who did?

RYUJI: Crap, did we forget to tell Futaba!?

FUTABA: Forget to tell Futaba what?

YUSUKE: We told you about how there's another Metaverse user, correct?

YUSUKE: We have a lead on who it may be.

FUTABA: Oooooh, a detective case!

FUTABA: Tell me! Who do you think it is!?

AKIRA: Kind of ironic you mentioned a detective case.

AKIRA: It's the younger brother of that detective who was found dead a little over a month ago.

AKIRA: His name is Toya Kazero.

FUTABA: Kazero… I think I heard about that.

FUTABA: Wait, what does it mean if he's the other Metaverse user?

RYUJI: It means he's a psychopath!

RYUJI: He accused us of killing his brother, and then threatened to kill us!

RYUJI: Then, as soon as that director confesses to being behind Medjed and killing Ken, he suddenly dies?

RYUJI: The dude is clearly screwed up in the head!

FUTABA: You guys have a rival this intense and never even brought it up to me!?

ANN: It doesn't matter now!

ANN: The point is, almost everything points to him. It can't be a coincidence!

FUTABA: Wait, almost…?

AKIRA: There is… one thing that doesn't add up.

AKIRA: The other Metaverse user, who goes by Hazard, has purple eyes.

AKIRA: Toya's eyes are brown. That's the only thing that doesn't add up.

FUTABA: That's weird… but I guess he can be wearing colored contacts.

ANN: We're gonna try to figure more out about him later on in the day, before school is out.

FUTABA: You better keep us updated!

AKIRA: Don't worry, we will.

AKIRA: We'll fill all of you in as soon as we get information.

**September 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

Toya somehow managed to get through the first day of school… even though it felt like he was going to die of boredom. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, taking it out and smiling as he saw the message.

MAKOTO: Do you have plans for today?

TOYA: No, I'm free. You wanna do something?

He had been spending so much time with Makoto recently… their last week and a half of summer had been spent with each other, and they loved every moment of it. A break from the drama of real life… it's exactly what the two of them needed.

"Hi there!" Toya's moment of happiness was broken off all of a sudden as he heard someone speaking. He looked up from his phone and saw… Ann Takamaki.

"Uh… Hi." Toya really wasn't interested in conversation with her… or any of the Phantom Thieves. Still, there had to be a reason she was talking to him… did she know something? "Is there something I can help you with?" Meanwhile, Akira was looking over his shoulder, watching Ann speak to Toya. He took out his phone, opening his messenger.

AKIRA: I feel like this isn't gonna work.

RYUJI: What!?

RYUJI: This is one of the greatest ideas I've ever had!

FUTABA: You guys are trying to use a Ryuji idea!?

YUSUKE: It was the only thing we could come up with…

FUTABA: Wait, what even is the idea?

YUSUKE: He wants Ann to flirt with him to bait him into giving us more information.

FUTABA: She agreed to that!?

Akira sighed, looking back towards Ann and Toya. Toya seemed even less interested than he expected… which was saying a lot.

"Sorry, I'm not really a people person." Toya averted his eyes back towards his phone, reading another message from Makoto. He visually smiled a little, quickly typing a response.

"But, you seem really invested in whoever you're talking to on your phone…"

"Well… there's one exception, I guess." Toya's lack of interesting in Ann was… almost insulting for her. Akira couldn't help but find it kind of funny, but he tried focusing, looking back to his phone.

AKIRA: It's not going well.

AKIRA: He has zero interest in Ann at all.

FUTABA: Just get Ann to emphasize her chest!

FUTABA: That'll work for sure!

RYUJI: See!? She gets it!

AKIRA: How am I supposed to get her to do that…?

YUSUKE: I imagine if you grabbed your chest with both hands, she would understand.

AKIRA: Not in a million years.

FUTABA: But it's a surefire method of victory!

Akira rolled his eyes and looked away, praying that the conversation was going somewhat better.

"Wait, are you talking to… a girlfriend?"

"...Something like that." Toya didn't want to say yes, but… this might get her to leave him alone. He slowly got up out of his seat, looking away from Ann and moving past her. "I'm gonna go see her now. Bye."

"Huh!? W-Wait!" Toya didn't bother to listen to her, and just walked away. She looked towards Akira, who sighed, before typing something out on his phone.

AKIRA: He walked away.

ANN: You two wanted me to do WHAT!?

FUTABA: Ryuji's idea!

RYUJI: The hell!?

RYUJI: You were more excited for it than I was!

YUSUKE: I don't know if that's true…

RYUJI: Shut up!

AKIRA: Toya is interested in someone else, so I don't think it was going to work regardless.

RYUJI: For real…?

ANN: Yeah…

FUTABA: What if it's his partner in crime!?

YUSUKE: I don't know if that's realistic…

FUTABA: Nonsense!

FUTABA: You must follow him and find out the truth!

AKIRA: Well, we might as well follow him…

RYUJI: I see him. He's heading downstairs.

RYUJI: I'm going ahead, you two catch up!

ANN: Got it!

**September 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Shinjuku (Red-Light District)**

"A sake bottle trick…? What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Toya could barely believe what he heard from the man he spoke to. Tsukasa… he was scum.

"He's horrible… but now, we have proof of how bad he is for Eiko. We really need to get her out of there."

"You're right. Let's do this." Toya and Makoto stood outside, waiting for Eiko's shift to end so they could finish this, once and for all. Meanwhile, three of the Phantom Thieves watched from a distance, looking on at the two of them.

"That girl… Do we know her?"Ann looked towards Ryuji and Akira. She knew she recognized her voice… but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Beats me. She's wearing a Shujin uniform though. If we see her face, maybe we'll recognize her." The three kept watching on from a distance, before suddenly, another girl walked towards them, also wearing a Shujin outfit. They listened in on the conversation, but they couldn't make much sense of what was going on. It sounded like drama… but for some reason, Toya was invested in the conversation, so they cared enough to continue listening in. Eventually, someone else walked by, wearing a white suit with long hair. He looked like trouble… and it seems like Toya and the girl he was with were both very aware of that. The continue eventually heated up… and the girl Toya was with ended up smacking the other. Whoever this was… they were serious.

"You're really startin' to annoy me with this shit, you bitch…! Don't think I'll go easy on you 'cause you're a chick. I'm gonna teach you a lesson you won't forget." The man inched towards the girl Toya was with, and she went to say something, but before she could, Toya grabbed the man's arm, and stared at him. He tried to break free, but he couldn't get out of Toya's grip.

"Go on. You want to act tough? Swing at me." Toya stared right into his eyes, speaking in a low, menacing tone. He let go of the man's arm, continuing to stare at him as he put his hands in his pockets. "What are you waiting for? Do it!" The man stumbled back a few steps, looking back at the three others, before running off, looking absolutely terrified.

"He wasn't so tough after all…" Toya and the girl he was with stood together, as the other one ran off. At that point, people around them started to notice what happened, and were talking about it. "People noticed what happened…"

"Let's get out of here… fast!" Toya grabbed on to her hand, and the two of them ran off in the opposite direction, headed back to the train station. The Phantom Thieves got undercover until the two of them passed by. They looked towards each other, before they took their phones out to inform everyone else.

RYUJI: Holy shit…

RYUJI: This guy is intense!

FUTABA: What happened!?

ANN: He was with this girl in a Shujin uniform. We didn't get to see her face, but… I recognize her voice.

ANN: This guy tried attacking her, and Toya just… stopped him.

YUSUKE: Stopped him…? How so?

RYUJI: He grabbed his arm and just… intimidated him to the point where he ran away terrified.

RYUJI: It was some scary shit…

YUSUKE: To think he could make someone run away just like that…

FUTABA: We need to stop him! Anyone have any ideas!?

AKIRA: I just got one…

YUSUKE: Hm? Did you find anything else out about him?

AKIRA: Yeah… I did.

FUTABA: Well!? Stop giving me so much suspense, tell meeeeeee!

AKIRA: Toya Kazero…

AKIRA: He has a Palace.


	32. Closing In

**September 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

YUSUKE: To think that Toya has a Palace…

YUSUKE: He's attended Shujin for so long, yet he's slipped under our noses this entire time...

ANN: I'm confused though…

ANN: Persona users can't have Palaces, can they?

RYUJI: He has a Palace, so… I guess he's not the guy in the black mask?

FUTABA: I had a Palace, and I got a Persona.

FUTABA: Doesn't that mean it's possible?

AKIRA: Morgana says he doubts it.

AKIRA: Persona users are at peace with themselves. If someone has a Palace, then that shouldn't be possible.

AKIRA: You only got your Persona when you came to terms with things.

AKIRA: Unless…

YUSUKE: Did you think of something, Akira?

AKIRA: What if he _was_ at peace with himself, but isn't anymore?

ANN: What do you mean?

AKIRA: We first encountered the black mask back in Madarame's Palace.

AKIRA: If he's really Toya, then maybe he didn't have a Palace back then, but…

AKIRA: Maybe after his brother died, a Palace was created?

RYUJI: That could be it.

RYUJI: When we fought in Mementos, he could have killed me if he really wanted to. But he didn't.

RYUJI: But after Ken died, he suddenly talked about killing all of us.

ANN: Morgana, is that really possible…?

AKIRA: He's… not sure.

AKIRA: He thinks it could be possible, but he's never seen it before.

YUSUKE: I propose we sleep on it and continue our investigation tomorrow.

YUSUKE: We have a few more days before our respective school trips.

YUSUKE: Let's see if we can gather any new information.

FUTABA: You guys have a trip? Lucky!

**September 2nd, 20XX (Friday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

MAKOTO: Hey, are you awake?

MAKOTO: I meant to tell you something yesterday, but I forgot to in the commotion of everything.

TOYA: Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?

MAKOTO: I'm gonna be pretty busy for the next few days…

MAKOTO: I have a lot of student council work to do, so I don't think I'll have any free time at all until Hawaii.

TOYA: For that long…?

TOYA: Well, maybe this isn't awful timing, actually.

MAKOTO: What do you mean?

TOYA: I actually meant to tell you something yesterday as well.

TOYA: I think the Phantom Thieves are onto me.

MAKOTO: What…!? How!?

TOYA: Two of them are in my class. One of them tried way too hard to talk to me.

TOYA: It was completely out of nowhere, too.

MAKOTO: They're not… going to hurt you, will they…?

TOYA: No way.

TOYA: Their leader would be screwed for life if they tried doing anything to me.

MAKOTO: Their leader?

TOYA: I guess I don't have a reason not to tell you at this point.

TOYA: The leader of the Phantom Thieves is Akira Kurusu. He's a transfer student that came to Shujin a couple weeks before I did.

TOYA: He transferred schools… because he has a criminal record.

MAKOTO: I heard about him…

MAKOTO: So he would get arrested if they tried doing anything to you.

TOYA: Essentially, yes. I don't really want to find myself in a situation where I have to rely on that though.

TOYA: I imagine they're gonna keep trying to look into me, so I'll do my best to seem as normal as possible.

TOYA: If they think I'm just an ordinary student, then I'm sure they'll leave me alone, right?

MAKOTO: I suppose so…

MAKOTO: Just be careful, okay?

TOYA: Don't worry, I'll be fine.

TOYA: Let's spend some time together once we're in Hawaii, okay?

TOYA: Hopefully it'll feel like an actual vacation…

MAKOTO: That sounds lovely.

MAKOTO: I'll see you soon.

TOYA: See you.

**September 5th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

Days had passed since the Phantom Thieves began investigating Toya. Their leader, Akira Kurusu, had personally went out of his way to speak to Toya on a daily basis. The two were slowly getting a better understanding of each other… or at least, that's what Akira thought. In reality, Toya had been putting up a facade, hiding the truth of who he really was. It was working well for him, to be honest. Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves were completely baffled by how normal Toya seemed… he acted like an ordinary highschool student. Toya pretended to enjoy his company, but… in reality, he didn't particularly enjoy it. He didn't hate speaking to Akira by any means, but… it was definitely awkward for him. In the past few days, he also spoke to Yusuke, and a new face, a young girl named Futaba. Since Akira went out of his way to introduce the two of them… there's no way she wasn't a Phantom Thief. He felt his phone vibrate for a moment, and prayed for a moment. He didn't necessarily _mind_ talking to Akira, but… there was someone he definitely enjoyed speaking with infinitely more. He took his phone out, opening his messenger to… a surprise.

? ? ?: Is this Toya Kazero?

TOYA: Yes…?

TOYA: Who's this?

? ? ?: I'm surprised I was able to dig this number up…

? ? ?: It's Sae Niijima. Ken gave me your number a long time ago, but I never ended up needing to use it.

TOYA: How many people did Ken give my number to…?

TOYA: Well, whatever.

TOYA: Is there something you need?

SAE: Yes, actually.

SAE: Our detective team is looking into the death of the SIU Director, but… they're drawing blanks.

SAE: They can't decide whether or not it was the Phantom Thieves who did it.

SAE: I was hoping you could lend some aid.

TOYA: They sound hopeless, but…

TOYA: I don't have anything planned for today, so I can do something.

TOYA: Where should I go?

SAE: You're still at the school, I assume?

TOYA: I was on my way out when you messaged.

SAE: Okay. I'm on my way there.

SAE: I'll pick you up, so wait outside the school gate.

TOYA: Sounds good.

Toya definitely would have preferred if her sister messaged… but this was fine. After all, if he had to choose between spending a day with Sae or someone like Akechi… he wouldn't have any problems making that choice. He made his way out to the school gate, before feeling his phone vibrate once again.

AKIRA: Do you have any plans for today?

TOYA: Can't get enough of me?

TOYA: Sorry, but I have something to do today.

TOYA: I'll probably be available tomorrow, if you need.

AKIRA: Tomorrow doesn't work for me.

AKIRA: I have something I need to do before our school trip.

TOYA: What a shame…

TOYA: Oh well. See you around.

Akira looked at his phone for a moment. Toya was busy… but with what? He walked outside and saw him, but before he could follow him very far, he watched Toya get into a car, being drove off. He didn't see who was actually driving it, but… there was no way for him to find out. He sighed, before taking out his phone.

AKIRA: Apparently, Toya is busy today.

AKIRA: I won't be able to talk to him.

YUSUKE: Busy? In what way?

AKIRA: He didn't say. I watched him get into a car, but I didn't see who was driving him.

RYUJI: Damn… so much for that.

RYUJI: Now what?

FUTABA: Train!

RYUJI: Wait, what?

FUTABA: You guys have a secret rival that might be crazy strong!

FUTABA: You absolutely have to train!

ANN: I mean… maybe…

RYUJI: Hazard is definitely strong…

RYUJI: It took a little while for him to start fighting for real, but when he did… I was done in seconds.

AKIRA: How exactly did that fight go down, anyways?

RYUJI: It was mostly him running away. He kept trying to avoid me until I eventually caught up to him.

RYUJI: Once I landed a few hits though, he got really angry.

RYUJI: That's when he actually started fighting back.

YUSUKE: Do you remember anything he did? Do his techniques stand out to you?

RYUJI: I only remember him kicking me in my bad leg.

ANN: He did that!?

RYUJI: Yeah. Once he did, the fight was basically over.

AKIRA: Did he have a weapon?

RYUJI: He did.

RYUJI: It was a sword… but it was also a gun.

ANN: Wait, what?

AKIRA: A… swordgun…?

FUTABA: Our rival has a gunblade!?

FUTABA: He's like, the stereotypical badass JRPG character!

FUTABA: That's totally overpowered!

YUSUKE: How does a weapon like that actually work?

RYUJI: Beats me. He didn't even attack me with it.

RYUJI: He kinda just kicked me and used his Persona to put me to sleep.

RYUJI: Next thing I knew, Yusuke put something in my mouth, and my leg was suddenly healed.

AKIRA: ...

YUSUKE: Please word that differently.

RYUJI: Shut up!

FUTABA: I will never delete this screenshot.

ANN: Me neither.

RYUJI: What the hell!?

AKIRA: Anyways…

AKIRA: We planned on training tomorrow, didn't we?

AKIRA: What's the plan now?

FUTABA: He has a gunblade! He's way stronger than I thought at first!

FUTABA: Two days of training!

ANN: Two days…?

ANN: Is that really necessary?

RYUJI: Probably.

YUSUKE: I think it's necessary as well.

AKIRA: It's decided then. Let's meet there now.

**September 5th, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Police Station**

The car came to a stop, as Toya and Sae walked out. The police station… At one point in time, Toya wanted to be a police officer. He didn't really want to be anything else, but… he didn't know how true that was anymore. He didn't really know what he wanted to be at this point, but… maybe it wasn't actually a police officer anymore. He sighed, before following Sae inside, as she brought him to a room with two other people. One was a middle aged man, who looked like he hated his job. The other person, however… was none other than Akechi. Toya wasn't expecting to see him, but realistically… he probably should have expected it. He was still a detective after all.

"Why are they wasting my time like this!?" Toya's gaze turned to the man he didn't recognize. His veins were visible in his neck and he was constantly checking his phone for the time. "Don't they realize there are more important things for me to be doing right now!?"

"Settle down." Sae's cold, emotionless tone filled the room, as the two turned their heads. "This is Toya Kazero. I'm assigning him to this case for his natural talent, as well as his brother's relation to the case." Sae gave a stern look to the two, before sighing and walking forward. "What do you have so far?"

"The Phantom Thieves clearly killed the director! How could any of morons think otherwise!?"

"Indeed. I struggle to see how this could be at anyone else's fault. Do you have any input, Toya?"

"There's not a single doubt in my mind that the Phantom Thieves had nothing to do with the director's death." Toya slowly stepped forward, looking towards the angry man, who started to look even angrier. "I think it's insane that you could even consider them to be at fault for this."

"What the hell did you say to me!?"

"Use your head for a minute. One, the Phantom Thieves had their hands tied with Medjed. There's no way they could have known that the SIU Director was behind the attack, unless they have someone working on the inside. But considering that literally nobody else knew of this plan, that explanation falls short."

"That may be true, but-"

"Two, the method doesn't match up. You're so quick to jump onto the blame train when in reality, if you compare this case to others, it doesn't actually add up."

"In what way does this not add up!?"

"The Phantom Thieves are notorious for making hidden criminals confess to crimes. While it's true that the director did that, that's where the similarities end. The Phantom Thieves, when they kill, kill by the means of a mental shutdown. That's what they did to my brother, after all. So tell me, tell me one thing…" Toya slowly walked forward, staring directly at the man's eyes. "In what world does your conclusion even make sense?" The man's anger skyrocketed. He was being schooled by some kid… and the worst part is, it made sense to him, but he didn't even want to admit it through his anger.

"What the hell do you know? You're just some stupid kid."

"A stupid kid? No, I'm simply using logical reasoning to come to a valid conclusion. You, on the other hand, just want to find the easiest answer and get out of here early so you can go somewhere else."

"You don't know-"

"If you want my advice, _sir_… you're wasting your time here. If you only care about getting out of here earlier and don't care if your conclusion is logical or not… then you have no place here. Find a new career, or change your methods. This country is doomed if people like you are in charge." The man was speechless. His anger had practically done a full reset… he even felt remorse. He took a look at everyone in the room, before turning away and running out, not saying another word. Toya sighed, and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Akechi's fists were clenched as tight as possible. Toya came to such a logical answer in a matter of seconds… he truly was Ken's brother. Still… this was bad. He needed people to be convinced that the Phantom Thieves are murderers, but… that didn't seem possible now. "I'm impressed you were able to find such a logical conclusion so quickly. You really are something, Toya…" Regardless of how he felt, Akechi masked his true emotions as he spoke. Toya could be useful if he was able to manipulate him…

"It was nothing. Though… there's a bigger problem."

"That's right. Now that the Phantom Thieves are less of a suspect… we still need to figure out who did it." Sae sighed, looking away for a moment before turning her gaze back to Toya. "I'm sorry, but we may need your assistance once more."

"It's fine. Just let me know when you need me." Toya stretched for a moment. He knew the truth… he just needed to convey it without exposing himself. "Someone in Japan is murdering people, and the blame is getting pushed onto others…" Toya turned his head, directly staring at Akechi. Their eyes met, and he simply stared for a moment. "There's even a chance it's someone hiding in plain sight. Finding them won't be easy… but we're gonna do it. Right?" Akechi blanked out for a moment. Toya spoke in a low, ominous tone, and stared directly at him… did he know something? He couldn't… could he? It was impossible to tell with Toya… but something was definitely up with him. Akechi would have to watch him closely from now on… very closely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidant Ranks:
> 
> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 4  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 3  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 9  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 6  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 2  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	33. Rehearsal

**September 6th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Descending down into Mementos again, the Phantom Thieves found themselves on the lowest floor they could go, before they were blocked off.

"Do we really need to train even more…?" Ann sighed, her body still sore from the day before. They had originally planned to train only today, but due to the excessive amount of free time they had, they got a day extra. Most of them were fine with it… but Ann wasn't used to the extra physical work, so it had a much bigger toll on her.

"Relax, Panther. We have a vacation after this, don't we?" Ryuji's optimism was… almost annoying, but it helped regardless. "So, what's the plan for today, Joker?"

"We did individual training yesterday. Today, we're breaking into three teams, and taking turns fighting against Shadows." Akira spoke calmly, as Futaba started to laugh.

"Make sure Skull and Inari don't team up, who knows what crazy things those two will do this time!"

"Skull and Oracle are up first." Futaba's laughter slowly came to a stop, as her face shifted to a look of absolute confusion, as she looked towards Akira.

"What!? Why do I have to train too!?"

"You couldn't train individually yesterday, due to the nature of your Persona. Now that we're pairing up, you're obligated to work just as hard as everyone else." Futaba tried to respond, but just ended up fumbling over words for a minute, before suddenly, a Shadow turned the corner.

"Ughhhh… fine! Let's get this over with!" Futaba and Ryuji stepped forward, staring down the Shadow. Futaba took off her mask and slowly ascended up into her Persona, Necronomicon. Meanwhile, Ryuji charged toward the Shadow, who transformed into its true form: an Anubis. "I'm speeding you up, get in there!" Futaba yelled out to Ryuji, as a green aura spiraled around him, speeding him up even further as he closed in on the Anubis, pulling out his bludgeon and dragging it through the ground, smashing it against the underside of the Anubis, sending it flying back.

"Yeah! How's that, freak!?" Ryuji yelled out, cheering himself on while everyone else stared at him awkwardly, especially Futaba.

"Did you really have to pair me up with _him_, Joker...?"

"You'll be fine. Hey, focus! The Shadow is still alive!" Akira's eyes averted to the Shadow, who was slowly coming forward again, charging up a blast of light magic.

"Oh, crap! Okay… I'm buffing your defense, but brace yourself, Skull!" A blue aura formed around Ryuji as he crossed his arms in front of him, covering himself as light magic was sent flying towards him, hitting him head on. Thankfully, he was able to block most of the damage with Futaba's help. He grit his teeth and looked forward, staring at the Anubis.

"You little…! I'm going in, Oracle!" Ryuji started running forward, gripping his weapon tighter. He ripped off his mask to summon his Persona, running faster as Captain Kidd appeared behind him, looking down menacingly at the Shadow.

"Go!" Oracle yelled out to Ryuji as she powered him up.

"Get wrecked!" Closing in on the Shadow, Ryuji's Persona slammed its arm down onto it, crushing it and causing it to disappear completely, fading into nothingness. With the Anubis now defeated, Ryuji and Futaba stepped away, coming back to the rest of the group.

"That's one team down. Anyone want to volunteer?" Akira asked around, and for a moment, nobody responded, until Yusuke decided to speak up.

"I'll be next, then. Who will my partner be?"

"Okay, Fox's partner will be… Mona."

"Me and Fox…? That's a weird choice, but… okay." Yusuke and Morgana walked forward, before spotting another Shadow that was standing still. It transformed into its true form, a Thoth, but still didn't bother to move. It simply stood still, focused on the book it was holding more than anything else.

"Does it… notice us…?"

"It transformed, so it has to… I don't know why it's not moving…" Yusuke and Morgana slowly began to walk forward, pulling out their respective swords just in case the worst happened, before suddenly realizing that the Shadow was… glowing. Yusuke and Morgana stopped for a moment, before Morgana's eyes suddenly widened in fear. "Wait… it's not ignoring us… it's charging an attack!" Just as Morgana spoke, the Thoth unleashed a powerful white explosion, aimed right at both Yusuke and Morgana. Before the attack hit either of them, Yusuke quickly summoned his Persona, speeding himself up with his magic and grabbing Morgana, jumping back to get out of the attack unscathed.

"Are you hurt, Mona?"

"I'm okay… I think I figured out a strategy too." Morgana began to grin, whispering something into Yusuke's ear. Yusuke's expression was more than surprised… but it gave him excitement. The rest of the Phantom Thieves watched in confusion as Yusuke suddenly grabbed Morgana and ran towards the Thoth. It began to concentrate again, but before it could get far into it, Yusuke suddenly reeled his arm back and threw Morgana into the air, aiming just above the Thoth. Morgana looked down with a grin on his face, before suddenly transforming into a car, quickly falling down to the ground and crushing the Thoth before it ever got a chance to use another attack, ending the fight at that instant. The Phantom Thieves looked at them with wide eyes, with Ryuji's jaw practically dropping.

"What the hell!? Why've you never done _that_ before, Mona!?" Ryuji was more in shock than anyone else, by far.

"And you thought I had no tricks left… shame on you for doubting the veteran here, Skull!"

"Anyways… that leaves me and Panther. You ready?"Akira looked towards Ann, who was still in a state of shock from watching what Yusuke and Morgana.

"Uh… y-yeah!" She quickly stepped forward, shaking off the surprise as another Shadow appeared. Akira and Ann looked forward, as the Shadow transformed into the giant sarcophagus, Mot. The sarcophagus opened up just a crack, as a hand extended out of it, snapping its fingers and suddenly summoning multiple Lamias in front of it. "Great… what are we gonna do about all of these, Joker!?"

"You should be able to finish off the Lamias with ease. As for the Mot… just leave it to me." Akira smirked, holding his mask and Ann nodded. "Come… Orpheus-Picaro!" Pulling off his mask, Akira summoned one of his Personas, as a red aura surrounded both him and Ann. Ann followed suit and took her own mask off, summoning Carmen behind her and firing off a blast of fire magic, aimed at all of the Lamias. They tried to slither away from the fire, but before they could, they heard Akira yell out once again. "Arsene!" With Orpheus-Picaro withdrawing, Akira's main Persona, Arsene, was suddenly unleashed. With a snap of his fingers, a green aura formed around the Lamias, suddenly slowing them down too much to dodge away from Ann's magic, as the fire engulfed them completely.

"The rest is up to you, Joker!" Akira smirked, as he quickly dashed towards the Mot. It began firing off various tiny white explosions to try and stop him, but he was far too quick for it. Akira switched masks once again as he took out his knife, slicing away at the Mot as soon as he got into range. After the final slice, he took off his mask, revealing the third and final Persona he carried around with him: Izanagi-Picaro.

"Cross… **SLASH!**" With a loud yell, Izanagi-Picaro unleashed its most devastating attack, breaking the Mot apart and ending the fight right there. He looked back to Ann, the two of them nodding before returning back to the rest of their team. As they were about to start talking, more Shadows appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Their training for the day wasn't done yet… they broke up into 3 seperate teams once more, and charged at the Shadows.

**September 7th, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Evening - Airport**

The time was finally here… the trip to Hawaii was upon them. After what seemed like endless training, the Phantom Thieves could finally relax for a few days. Ann and Akira talked alone for a little while, until Ryuji finally showed up, barely making it in time.

"I wasn't expectin' to make a mad dash like this…" Ryuji was panting, putting his hands on his knees and putting his head down, trying to get his breath back.

"Coming late even on a day like this?" Ann crossed her arms. She kind of expected it from Ryuji, but… it was still disappointing nonetheless.

"I know, I know…" Ryuji got up and started looking around, until he noticed someone out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, isn't that…!?" Akira and Ann both turned in the direction Ryuji faced, instantly noticing who he was talking about. Toya was right there… and talking to the girl that they saw him with in Shinjuku.

"That girl… isn't she our student council president!?" Ann took a step back. Toya and the school council president… that screamed trouble.

"There's no way she could know about Toya's secret life… is there…?" Akira looked at the two of them more closely. She could be in serious danger if she was unaware of how Toya really is…

"Look at them though… they look so… happy…" Ann tilted her head. Whether she knew it or not… it didn't change the fact that they looked genuinely happy together.

"This guy is a secret psychopath… how'd he get a girlfriend before me? Gimme a break…" Ryuji closed his eyes and sighed, before Ann suddenly slapped him as hard as she could. "Ow! What the hell was that for!?"

"You not having a girlfriend isn't the issue here!" Ann yelled, and it caught the attention of Toya and Makoto, who looked over towards them. They were bickering among themselves… and it was pretty obvious what they were talking about.

"That's them, right? The Phantom Thieves… it's those three, isn't it?" Makoto looked towards Toya, who closed his eyes and sighed.

"There are more of them, but… those three are all a part of them, with Akira being their leader."

"Ryuji Sakamato and Ann Takamaki… I remember those two being quite involved with Kamoshida. It makes sense that they're a part of the group." Makoto looked towards them again, before turning back to Toya. "I can't believe that they've been hiding under our noses this entire time…"

"Well, we've been hiding just as much as they have, right?"

"I guess… Well, it's time for us to check in. Shall we get going?"

"After you." The two started walking off. The Phantom Thieves kept watching them from a distance. They couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but… they still had a bad feeling overall. Something was definitely up… and they had to figure out what. For now though, it was time for their vacation… at last.

**September 8th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Hawaii (Hotel)**

After a long 6 hour flight, they were finally there. The second year Shujin Academy students finally made it to Hawaii, even though it felt like it was gonna take forever. Most of them slept on the plane, but even still, it felt long and drawn out for the most part. However, that didn't matter anymore. All that mattered at this point was the fact that it was over. Toya and Makoto split up to find their respective rooms. Makoto was lucky enough to get a room all to herself, due to the fact that she was a 3rd year chaperone. Toya was jealous, but… it didn't really matter too much at the end of the day.

Toya and Makoto spent a large majority of the day just roaming around Hawaii and taking in the atmosphere. It was… really different from Japan, but that wasn't really a bad thing. It was actually pretty refreshing overall, and a lot cleaner than either of them were expecting. However, once the day was coming to an end, the two of them finally went their separate ways and went back to the hotel.

However, once Toya got back to the hotel, he realized… this trip might not be as amazing as they originally thought. He took out his key to enter his room, and saw his roommate… the leader of the Phantom Thieves, Akira Kurusu.


	34. Hawaii

**September 8th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Hawaii (Hotel)**

"You're… my roommate, Toya?" Akira's eyes met Toya's, as they simply stared for a moment.

"I guess so." Toya did his best to remain calm. He could get through this… he just had to act his way out of it. He looked around the room for a moment, slowly making his way to the free bed. "You couldn't bring it with you?"

"...It? What do you mean?"

"Come on, Akira. Do you really think I've gone this long without noticing the cat?"

"You… know Morgana?"

"I've been sitting behind you for literal months, Akira. I don't think it's possible to go this long without hearing the random meows that come from your desk." Akira paused for a moment. Meowing…? Does that mean… he couldn't _actually_ hear Morgana? But then… that would mean that he's never been to the Metaverse… so then… is he not Hazard? "I guess it makes sense. That cat never shuts up, anyways… I don't think you could even bring it on the plane."

"Uh… yeah. He wouldn't be allowed on the plane."

"I guess that makes sense." Toya laid down, his head hit the pillow and he got under a blanket, turning away from Akira while taking out his phone, turning the brightness all the way down. "I'm gonna get some sleep… I was out all day. Goodnight."

"I'm pretty sleepy too. Goodnight." Akira had the exact same thought as Toya, as he pulled his own phone out while facing away.

AKIRA: This trip just got so awkward…

RYUJI: Awkward? Dude, if you could hear the crap my roommate is saying on the phone to his girlfriend…

ANN: Ugh, I think he's talking to my roommate… it's keeping me up!

ANN: What about you? Is your roommate the same way as us?

AKIRA: My roommate is Toya.

RYUJI: For real!?

ANN: That's… isn't that a good thing?

AKIRA: A good thing? How?

ANN: Well, if he wears contacts to hide his eye color…

ANN: Can't you see him without contacts of you wake him up?

RYUJI: Holy shit, you're right!

RYUJI: Wake him up in the morning and check for his eye color!

AKIRA: Got it.

As this conversation was going on, Toya was having a conversation of his own.

TOYA: This vacation might not be as much of a break as I thought…

MAKOTO: Is everything okay…?

TOYA: Akira is my roommate.

MAKOTO: Akira…!?

MAKOTO: You're gonna be fine, right…?

TOYA: I acted like I'm just a normal guy. I don't think he's looking too far into me…

TOYA: I'm gonna wake up early and leave the room.

TOYA: I can't sleep with my contacts in, so I have to wake up before he does…

TOYA: I'm gonna set an alarm for 5:30 in the morning. I really doubt he'll wake up earlier than that…

MAKOTO: Just be careful, okay…?

TOYA: I will be.

TOYA: How busy are you gonna be tomorrow?

MAKOTO: Very…

MAKOTO: I doubt I'll have anything to do on Saturday though.

TOYA: Alright.

TOYA: I'll see you in a couple days then.

MAKOTO: For sure!

Toya set an alarm and then put his phone in his pocket, taking his contacts out and hiding them from sight. He couldn't give Akira any ideas… he had to be as stealthy as possible. As long as he didn't give Akira any ideas, he'd be perfectly fine.

**September 9th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Early Morning - Hawaii (Hotel)**

Feeling a vibration in his pocket, Toya slowly got up from his bed. He was still a little tired, but he could miss an hour of sleep. He got a lot of sleep on the plane, after all. He picked up his contacts and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

However, inside the room, Akira slowly moved around in his sleep. He took out his phone to check the time… it was 5:31 in the morning. If Toya was willing to wake up this early… then he had to be hiding something. There was a way he could use this to his advantage though… he just had to be smart about it. For now though… it was far too early to stay awake. He closed his eyes again and drifted back to sleep, without Toya ever realizing he was awake in the first place.

**September 9th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Daytime - Hawaii (Beach)**

The second day of Hawaii… unfortunately, Toya was gonna spend most of the day alone, but that was fine. He was kind of stressed from suddenly having a Phantom Thief as his roommate… maybe the alone time was a good thing. He made his way down to the beach to relax for a bit, not necessarily to socialize, just to enjoy the atmosphere of the foreign country. To his surprise, everything was so… clean. It almost looked artificial with how clean it was and how happy the people seemed to be… it was rather refreshing.

"Uhh, excuse me!" Toya turned around, suddenly seeing someone he had never actually spoken to before, but he saw him in his class once or twice. "My name is Mishima. Sorry to bother you, but… you're that famous detective's brother, aren't you…?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just wondering something. Your brother… could you tell me what he thought of the Phantom Thieves." Toya slightly tilted his head. This was… a random question. Why would someone ask this for no apparent reason?

"He was hopeful for them. He gave them the benefit of the doubt, even though nobody else did. Why are you interested in what people think of the Phantom Thieves, anyways?"

"I'm just… a fan! I mean, who isn't?" His tone was different. He sounded nervous as soon as Toya asked a simple question… about there was something else to him for sure.

"Last I checked, more than half the general population of Japan thought the Phantom Thieves were criminals."

"T-That's not true! Phan-Site ratings have been better than ever!"

"Phan-Site? Oh, you mean that website someone made for the Phantom Thieves?" Toya gave Mishima a questioning look, as he slowly started putting the pieces together in his head. "It must take a really dedicated fan to run a website like that, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah, sure!" Mishima started to slowly back away, but Toya simply walked forward, keeping his eyes locked on to his.

"What's wrong? You're sweating pretty badly there. You're not nervous or anything, are you?"

"It's… just really hot! That's all! You know, we're on a beach and all, right?"

"So you're just really hot…? Why are your legs shaking then?"

"Well… because I'm uh… cold…?" Toya said nothing in response. He just stared at Mishima for a moment. He wasn't angry- if anything, he almost felt insulted with how bad Mishima's acting is.

"Next time… just tell me the truth. You're the administrator of the Phan-Site, aren't you?"

"...Yeah…"

"See how easy that was?" Toya smirked, starting to walk away before turning his head once more. "Don't worry- I'm not gonna run around and tell people that." Toya took out his phone, opening the Phan-Site. To his surprise, there was an entire ranking system for who the Phantom Thieves should target next. "Kunikazu Okumura, the CEO of Okumura Foods. They want the Phantom Thieves to target this guy…?" Toya had heard a rumor or two about Okumura before, but he never really paid it any mind. However, for people to want the Phantom Thieves to target him… that definitely says a lot more than a rumor. He started to walk away, and Mishima tried to say something to him, however… he was too shaken up. Toya practically broke him down in a matter of seconds… it was scary, but impressive at the same time.

Meanwhile, from not too far away, three people were watching the conversation go down: Akira, Ryuji, and Yusuke. Watching everything that had just went down was… interesting, to say the very least. It didn't necessarily make Toya look like a psychopath or anything of the sort, but… it definitely made him seem more intimidating than every other time they had spoken to him in the real world. There had to be something more to him… and before this trip was over, they'd have an answer on that. They knew that they could find the truth about Toya if they tried hard enough… and now, he had nowhere to run.

**September 9th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Evening - Hawaii (Hotel)**

TOYA: I found something out earlier…

MAKOTO: What's up?

TOYA: You've heard of Okumura Foods, right?

TOYA: They own Big Bang Burger.

MAKOTO: Of course. Why?

TOYA: The CEO of it, Kunikazu Okumura, has a Palace.

TOYA: He's also ranked the highest on the "Phan-Site".

MAKOTO: Phan-Site?

MAKOTO: Is that the Phantom Thieves website I've heard about?

TOYA: Yeah, I checked it for the first time today.

TOYA: Should we look into it when we get back?

MAKOTO: We could.

MAKOTO: Are you sure you're ready to go back into the Metaverse? Especially after… you know…

TOYA: I can do it.

TOYA: My mind was just… broken apart, at that point.

TOYA: I don't think that can suddenly happen again, can it?

MAKOTO: I doubt it…

MAKOTO: I don't think anyone else could say the things Ishida said that made that chain of events start.

TOYA: Yeah…

Toya paused for a moment. The things Ishida said… there was definitely someone else who could trigger something in his head, similar to what Ishida did. One of the Phantom Thieves could maybe do it, but… that was nothing in comparison to what someone else could do… that person being Goro Akechi. If Toya was right about his gut feeling… then Akechi was the person behind the madness. One of his only friends… a psychopath… was that really possible? He thought for a moment, before his train of thought was suddenly cut off by the sound of his door opening.

TOYA: Akira just got back.

TOYA: You said you're free tomorrow, right?

MAKOTO: Yeah. Finally…

TOYA: Let's meet up tomorrow. I want to have _some_ memories of this trip, besides rooming with a Phantom Thief…

MAKOTO: So do I. I'll text you when I'm ready.

TOYA: Great. Goodnight.

MAKOTO: Goodnight!

"I didn't think you'd be here already, Toya." Akira looked over at Toya, who was laying down on his bed, staring at his phone.

"Yeah, I got here not too long ago. Today was pretty boring overall, so I just wanted to come back and rest earlier."

"You're bored in Hawaii? Shouldn't you be trying to make the most of the trip?"

"I would be, but… well, I have plans for tomorrow anyways, so it's not like I'm wasting the entire trip." Toya looked at his phone again, before suddenly, someone started knocking on the door. The two of them both looked toward the door, before Akira walked over and opened it.

"Ryuji?" Toya's eyes widened. Ryuji…? What the hell was he doing here? Ryuji walked into the room with Akira following right behind him.

"Yo." Ryuji stared right at Toya with a stupid grin on his face as he spoke.

"Not to sound rude, but… why are you here, exactly?"

"Just hear me out! The guy I'm roomin' with went and brought his girlfriend back to the room! I felt totally awkward stayin' in there with them. I'm just gonna sleep here tonight... you two okay with that?" Toya sighed. He knew Akira would be more than fine with Ryuji staying in the room… and honestly, he didn't really have a way to say no.

"Yeah, go ahead." Suddenly, there was more knocking on the door. Toya prayed for a moment, as Akira went to get the door again.

"You too, Ann?" Somehow, Toya was expecting this to happen. He watched Ann and Akira as they made their way into the room as well.

"The girl I was sharing a room with took off to her boyfriend's room!"

"I know that feelin'!"

"And she took the key! I stepped outside for just a second and the autolock kicked in! I can't get back in my room!" This sounded so stupid, that Toya couldn't tell if the two of them were just lying, or if this was just some stupid chain of events that actually brought them all together in this room. Regardless… both Ryuji and Ann were staying in the room tonight.

"Who gets to sleep on the beds then?" Akira looked towards the other three, as Toya slowly got up and made his way over to the chair in the room, sitting on it with one leg resting on the other.

"There's playing cards on the table. You three can figure out who's stuck sleeping on the sofa… I'm just gonna use the chair." The three of them nodded, as Toya hung his head down. This was gonna be a long night… and a dangerous one, for him. The three of them played cards to figure out who would sleep on the sofa, as Toya went to use the bathroom, mostly just for some space. Ryuji ended up losing the game, so he was stuck sleeping on the sofa. While he was in the bathroom, Toya splashed some water on his face and took his phone out.

TOYA: Please tell me you're still awake…

TOYA: This trip just got a million times more awkward.

MAKOTO: I'm awake, but barely…

MAKOTO: What happened?

TOYA: Ryuji and Ann are both sleeping in the same room as me and Akira tonight…

TOYA: Apparently they have actual reasons, but it sounds so stupid to the point that I can't tell if they're being serious, or if they're all just awful liars.

MAKOTO: Wait, all three of them…?

TOYA: Apparently.

MAKOTO: Do you even have enough beds for that? Are you gonna be forced to share or something?

TOYA: I'm sleeping on a chair, and the three of them are using playing cards to figure out who has to sleep on the sofa tonight.

MAKOTO: God…

MAKOTO: Please be careful, okay?

MAKOTO: If you say anything too weird, they might suspect you even more…

TOYA: Don't worry.

TOYA: I'm gonna keep conversation to a minimum.

TOYA: Sorry for keeping you up…

TOYA: Go get some sleep now. If anything happens, I'll just tell you in the morning.

She didn't even respond. Toya figures she just fell asleep… which was pretty likely, to be fair. He put his phone away, and went to splash some water on his face.

Meanwhile, back in the hotel room, the Phantom Thieves were all facing each other, plotting something.

"I think I have a plan for exposing Toya." Ryuji and Ann's eyes widened, as they looked towards their leader. "Earlier this morning, I saw him leave the room. It was at 5:31 in the morning, and the only reason I was awake was because I heard him moving around a bit."

"5:30…? Who the hell wakes up that early if they have nothing to hide?" Ryuji clenched his fists. Toya has to be Hazard… there's no other possible explanation.

"So what do we do, Akira? How do we expose him…?"

"Just follow my lead. I'll tell you all when it's time."

**September 10th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Early Morning - Hawaii (Hotel)**

It was really early in the morning… earlier than Toya was used to waking up. He wanted to sleep more, but something was… wrong. His eyes were open, but… he couldn't see anything. On top of that… he couldn't breathe. He tried moving around, but something was pressed against his face, smothering his breathing. He shook around desperately, before finally getting a grip on what felt like an arm and pushing it away. As he did, his vision was unblocked and he could breathe again. He started panting, holding on to the chair as he looked forward, seeing the Phantom Thieves all standing in front of him.

"What… what the hell is wrong with you people…!? You could have killed me…!" They all stared back at him, Akira and Ryuji crossing their arms, as Ann held a pillow in her hand, which was most likely what was used to suffocate him.

"So… it really is you." Ryuji gave him a glare, gritting his teeth. Was this a dream…? What was even happening? Toya couldn't even process it.

"What… what are you even talking about…?" Toya stopped panting so hard and looked at the three of them again, before suddenly, his eyes widened in realization, as he looked at Akira, who was now holding his hands up, with 2 brown colored contacts in his fingers.


	35. Confidence

**September 10th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Early Morning - Hawaii (Hotel)**

For a few moments, nothing was said. The Phantom Thieves simply exchanged glances with Toya. Everything was out in the open now. No more secrets, no more fake acts of friendship… their real faces were out in the open. At first, Toya was distraught. He had closed his eyes and looked down for a moment. His secret was out… they were onto him for so long, but now, they knew it. There was no doubt anymore. Toya was Hazard… but after that moment of distress was over, Toya began to laugh. He opened his eyes again, smirking as he stared into the eyes of the Phantom Thieves.

"Well done. After all that time trying to start countless awkward conversations, you've finally discovered the truth. Bravo, bravo!" Toya continued laughing, clapping his hands as Ryuji clenched his fist tightly.

"What the hell are you laughing at!? It's over now, Hazard! You have nowhere left to hide!" Ryuji nearly yelled, his eyes turning bloodshot as he looked angrily at Toya.

"Over? Oh, please… do you truly think this is the end? No, this is only the beginning." Toya slowly stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. "Go on. Your fist is already clenched so tightly. Take a swing, I won't even hit back!" Toya's stare pierced through Ryuji's, as he gave him a devilish smirk. "Give in to that same anger you gave in to against Kamoshida. Go on!" Ryuji was practically shaking with anger. They go through all this effort to expose him, and now… he's just taunting him?

"Why are you acting so cocky?" Akira finally spoke up, as Toya's gaze turned to him. "We exposed your secret, and we have your back to the wall. Where is your confidence coming from?"

"My confidence… is in the fact that at the end of the day, you're all fools. I know you three tend to struggle with this, especially Ryuji, but try to use your head for a moment. What do you think would happen if any of you took a swing at me?"

"I'd break your nose, dammit!" Ryuji yelled out, holding his fist in front of him, as Toya started laughing again.

"With a hard enough punch? Sure, maybe you could. But I'm not referring to that… I'm referring to the long term."

"What are you getting at!?" Ann finally spoke up. She was the most intimidated of the three. Seeing Toya was still so condescending towards them… while it angered Ryuji and confused Akira, it worried Ann. He wouldn't do this… nobody would, unless they had something planned.

"If I leave this room with even a scratch… all I need to do is simply walk over and show Ms. Kawakami before we get on the plane and head back to Japan." Toya closed his eyes, looking down and smirking even wider. "If I walked up to her with a broken nose, when she knows my only designated roommate is the infamous transfer student with an assault on his record… what do you think would happen to your precious leader?" The three of them all stepped back as their eyes widened. "That's right. He'd be arrested as soon as we got back. Even if he's not the one to swing at me… do you think they'd take your word over mine?" Toya started to walk away, making his way towards the door. Before he left, he turned back around, and took a bow. "Face it, Phantom Thieves… you're all powerless against me. You thought you cornered me… but in reality, all you did was waste your trump card. Our showdown will happen on _my_ terms, when _I_ want it to happen." Standing up straight once more, Toya looked right into the eyes of Akira, who looked right back at him. "Do yourself a favor… allow some of your smarter members to come up with the ideas. Clearly… this isn't your strong suit." Toya didn't say another word. He walked out of the door with a smirk, closing it behind him.

AKIRA: We were right.

FUTABA: It's midnight here!

FUTABA: You better have a good explanation for messaging this late at night!

RYUJI: Toya is Hazard.

RYUJI: Dammit… We couldn't even do anything about him.

YUSUKE: What do you mean?

ANN: If we did anything, all of the blame would fall on Akira since he's his designated roommate.

FUTABA: Wait, I'm confused.

FUTABA: How did you confirm it's him?

AKIRA: We woke up before he could put his contacts in.

AKIRA: Ann smothered him to wake him up, and when he looked at us, we saw his eyes.

FUTABA: Wait, Ann smothered him!?

FUTABA: Like, with her chest!?

ANN: NO!

ANN: With a pillow!

FUTABA: Oh…

FUTABA: That made it a lot less interesting.

ANN: Just go back to bed!

Meanwhile, Toya was slowly walking away from the room. He felt a big mixture of emotions… he wasn't really sure what to do. He suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket, as he took out his phone.

MAKOTO: Sorry, I completely passed out…

MAKOTO: Did everything turn out okay?

TOYA: I didn't get hurt, but…

TOYA: They know the truth now.

MAKOTO: Oh no…

MAKOTO: How did this happen…?

TOYA: They woke up early and smothered me with a pillow.

TOYA: I'm still not really sure why they chose that method.

MAKOTO: Was that… actually the best they could come up with…?

TOYA: I know, right?

TOYA: Honestly, though… I'm a lot less worried than I thought I would be.

MAKOTO: Why is that?

TOYA: Sure, they might know who I am now, but…

TOYA: How much can they really do to me?

TOYA: If they so much as try doing something to me, their leader could get sent to jail within a day.

TOYA: So ultimately… I think I'm okay.

TOYA: Though, sleeping in the same room will be kind of awkward…

TOYA: Anyways, are you free now?

MAKOTO: Yes, I finally am…

MAKOTO: You still want to meet, yes?

TOYA: Of course.

MAKOTO: I'd really love taking a walk on the beach right now…

MAKOTO: We're in Hawaii, after all.

TOYA: That sounds really nice right now…

TOYA: I'll be there soon.

**September 10th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Daytime - Hawaii (Beach)**

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, Toya and Makoto finally had free time. No worrying about chaperoning, no worrying about Phantom Thieves… nothing. They could just be normal teenagers for a few hours… if they were lucky, maybe even for the rest of the day. As much as Toya and Makoto enjoyed the extraordinary parts of their lives… there were definitely times where they just wanted to unwind and pretend like those aspects of life didn't exist. Since they were in such a beautiful foreign country… now seemed like the perfect time to do just that. After changing into his swimsuit, Toya made his way to the beach to find Makoto there, waiting for him on a bench.

"Being a chaperone is more difficult than I expected. There are so many meetings… I wish I could have contacted you sooner. Unfortunately… this is the first bit of free time I've had this entire trip…" Makoto slowly got up from her seat on the bench as she spoke. She sounded mentally exhausted after all of the work…

"Well… we got together as soon as we could, right? Let's just enjoy it instead of worrying about how long it took."

"That sounds lovely…" Toya and Makoto both nodded, as they started to walk along the beach. Deep in the back of Toya's mind, there was a faint worry for what would happen with the Phantom Thieves, but… he couldn't pay it much mind, even if he tried. Being with Makoto… it made him think less about the things that stressed him out- the things that kept him up at night. All he wanted to do was enjoy the moment… no matter how long or short it might be. After a little while of walking, they stumbled upon a foot stand that was selling garlic shrimp.

"You two from Japan?" The man who owned the food stand spoke to them. Toya and Makoto could slightly understand him, but… he had a strange accent, to say the very least.

"Yeah, we're here on a school trip." Toya spoke to the man, as he looked inside of the foot stand.

"How 'bout them Phantom Thieves, huh? The guys that steal hearts!"

"You... know about the Phantom Thieves?" Toya tilted his head. People know about the Phantom Thieves, even in a foreign country…?

"Heard about it on the news! They're all the rage in Japan, yeah? Say, if y'run into 'em, tell 'em I say hello. And ask 'em to change people's hearts so everyone loves shrimp!"

"...Yeah, you got it. I'll get right on that." Toya looked at Makoto, who had a dumbfounded look on her face from this conversation. Toya didn't blame her though… this conversation was interesting in a really weird way. Though, he gave the two of them an extra pile of shrimp, so they couldn't complain too much. They found a bench to sit on as they ate shrimp, staring out at the ocean and just talking for a while.

**September 10th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Sunset - Hawaii (Beach) **

Before the two of them even realized, the sun was already setting. It was visible just behind the ocean, illuminating the sky in a bright, orange glow.

"...How beautiful." Makoto gazed at the sunset for a moment, before turning her head back to Toya. "It's already so late… my sister would be upset if she saw me laid back like this."

"Yeah… I can see that happening. It's just one day though, right…?" Toya and Makoto both softly laughed under their breath, turning their heads back to the sunset.

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't particularly eager to go on this trip. But if it's like this… I think I'd like to come again."

"We should come again one day, but… I'd prefer if it was just the two of us next time."

"Y-You want to come here just the two of us…?" Makoto's voice was suddenly a bit shaky. Toya closed his eyes for a moment, leaning back into the bench.

"If we're being completely honest… all I really wanted to do from the second we landed was spend time with you. Sure, sightseeing is fun and all, but… I didn't want to do it alone." Toya opened his eyes, looking up to the sky while trying to form his thoughts into coherent sentences. "I found myself just wishing you'd suddenly be done with work out of nowhere. Wishing that you'd just… be free, even if it was only an hour, or however long. Just… any amount of time that I could be lucky enough to spend with you."

"Toya…"

"You know… you changed me a lot. Ever since we met, I feel like my life has gone through this crazy chain of events. I couldn't even begin to describe how this has all happened, but… even through all of the hardships and devastation… you were there, every single time. Between what happened with Ken and Ishida… I definitely would have lost it at some point under any other circumstances." Toya smiled, looking towards Makoto, who had a bright red tint covering her face. "So… thank you. You made me a completely different person… and stopped me from becoming a monster." At that moment, time stood absolutely still for a moment. Toya and Makoto might have been on a beach surrounded by people, but… at that moment in time, nobody else mattered. The only thing in the world was the two of them. They instinctively inched closer together, as their hands touched. They slowly interlocked their fingers together while staring into each other's eyes, a red tint covering both of their faces. Within the final moments of sunset, the two of them both leaned in further to each other, closing their eyes as their lips met.

No other words were said that night. The two of them had infinite thoughts and emotions run through their mind, but… they didn't need to tell each other anything. The kiss spoke a thousand words for both of them, and sealed their fate. The partnership they formed months ago… they had evolved far beyond that. They would continue to be partners now… in both the Metaverse, and in love. The two couldn't ask for anything more than that.

**September 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Hawaii (Hotel)**

Toya woke up with a headache. He was up so late… it messed with his memory and made him drowsy. He looked at his phone… it was 5 AM. His internal clock was all messed up… however, through his drowsiness, he noticed something… odd. He looked around the room he was in, and noticed that it was… unfamiliar. He hadn't been to this room before. He tried to get up, but one of his arms were stuck, almost as if something was covering it. He looked to his right and saw that there was a blanket completely covering his arm, as well as… something else. He slowly pulled the blanket back, before seeing… Makoto, of all people, laying down on his arm and using it as a pillow.

Seeing that made Toya remember everything from last night… he and Makoto went back to her room instead of parting ways. They didn't do anything… they just laid in each other's arms until they fell asleep. Makoto started to gently shuffle in her sleep, rubbing her cheek against Toya's arm with a gentle smile on her face. It was… heartwarming, if he had to put it into words. He laid down on his side and wrapped his other arm around her, closing his eyes after taking one more look at Makoto. Things just felt… peaceful. In that moment in time, that's the only emotion Toya could use to describe things. He let himself drift off to sleep as he held Makoto in his arms, his mouth naturally forming a gentle smile in the final moments of him being awake.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confidant Ranks:
> 
> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 4  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 4  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 6  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 2  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	36. Rivalry

**September 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Hawaii (Airport)**

Despite how much will power it took them, Toya and Makoto eventually got out of bed and made their way to the airport. The time they had spent in Hawaii was… eventful, to say the least. Though, the events that took place on the beach with the two of them was the only part they could only think about, and it was all they actually cared about. The two were happily talking while waiting to board, before out of the corner of his eye, Toya noticed someone walking towards him.

"Hey… one of the Phantom Thieves is coming." Makoto turned to see who Toya was referring to, but she had never seen this person before. He was rather tall, and had blue hair.

"He's not wearing a Shujin uniform… that's… a Kosei uniform, isn't it?"

"It is. His name is Yusuke Kitagawa. He assisted the Phantom Thieves in changing Madarane's heart. Let me talk to him alone for a little bit… I don't want him to suspect you're a Persona user as well." Makoto nodded in response and walked away, as Yusuke walked forward. "I didn't realize you were here too, Yusuke." Toya turned to face him, looking straight into his eyes.

"Forgive me, but… I'm having trouble accepting the reality of the situation we're now in."

"What's there to accept? I was under the impression that I was the only suspect any of you had."

"You were. However… I always had trouble processing that the nice young man who consoled me in Leblanc is the same one who threatened to kill my entire friend group." Yusuke's face showed his discomfort, as his eyes panned down.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you, Yusuke." Toya sighed, putting his hands in his pockets, still looking at Yusuke. "Believe it or not, I don't hate you. I don't hate _any_ of you. Even Ryuji, who accused me of killing my own brother…" Toya's body shook with anger for a moment, before he calmed himself down. Ryuji definitely triggered his anger more than anyone else did. He turned around, beginning to walk away, before Yusuke spoke up.

"I noticed something." Toya paused, turning his head slightly, just enough to look at Yusuke. "You apologized for deceiving us… yet you show no remorse for threatening us." Toya's glare pierced through Yusuke's eyes, as he chuckled under his breath.

"Allow me to fill you in on something, Yusuke…" Toya suddenly showed a grin, his purple eyes being fully visible and shimmering. "Not too long after we get back, I'm going to be targeting the CEO of Okumura Foods. After all, he's the highest rated candidate on the website Mishima made for all of you."

"What are you getting at…!?"

"What I'm saying is… don't even think about coming. If you show up…" Toya turned his head away and chuckled under his breath. "Well, let's just say I'm a man of my word." Toya, after displaying his confidence, began walking away without another word. Yusuke wanted to say something in response, but… realistically, there was nothing left to be said. However… Yusuke knew something. Toya Kazero… whoever that was, he was a completely different person now compared to when they met in Leblanc, and different from everything he heard from Akira. Was this… his true nature? Is this who Hazard really was? Yusuke wanted to believe it, but… there seemed to be something else to him. There was something underlying in Toya's personality, something hidden behind those eyes… something terrifying. No matter what that was… it would be easy to find out in his Palace. However… they were unable to even begin figuring out what his keywords are. He walked back to his friend group, as they all got ready to take the flight back to Japan. The trip in Hawaii was eventful for the Phantom Thieves… even though their time spent wasn't nearly as fulfilling as Toya's, they still confirmed their biggest suspicion. They weren't sure what they were going to do yet, but they had some time to figure that out.

**September 12th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Aoyama-Itchome (Niijima Household)**

TOYA: I think I'm finally feeling the effects of jet lag…

TOYA: As soon as I got to my room, I practically collapsed.

MAKOTO: Definitely sounds like jet lag…

MAKOTO: Weren't you waking up obscenely early every morning as well?

TOYA: Aside from yesterday, yeah.

MAKOTO: I practically had to drag you out of bed. Jet lag is only adding onto it.

MAKOTO: You should probably just try to sleep early if you can…

MAKOTO: ...Toya?

There was no answer. He probably fell asleep already… Makoto understood why, but there was a part of her that wished he stayed up for just a bit longer. She put her phone down and went back to her studies for a few minutes, before her sister showed up, walking into the room.

"Hey, Sis."

"You just got back from your trip and you're already studying? How diligent."

"I have souvenirs for you."

"...The principal of Shujin Academy has passed away." Suddenly, the mood in the room shifted completely. Principal Kobayakawa was dead…? "He suddenly stopped while crossing the road and was struck by a large vehicle. Death by external trauma. They say suicide seems to be a strong possibility…"

"Principal Kobayakawa committed suicide…!?"

"Hey, do you think you could get into contact with Toya? I want him to look into this with me tomorrow."

"He's asleep right now, but I can tell him in the morning if you'd like."

"Don't worry about it if he's already asleep. I'll just message him before school ends tomorrow."

"Wait… Do you have his number?"

"Ken gave it to me a long time ago. I haven't used it much- only to message him once to look into the death of the SIU director."

"If you don't mind me asking… what did he have to say about it?"

"He doubted the possibility that it was the Phantom Thieves. He's under the impression that the Phantom Thieves wouldn't kill someone immediately after changing their heart, but… it's hard to say." Sae put a hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath while recalling the conversation. "That confidence he has in the conclusion he comes to… I guess he's more like his brother than I originally realized."

"Did you… know Ken personally, then…?"

"That's… not important anymore." Sae panned her eyes away from Makoto. "Anyways… you're studying. I'm sorry to bother you." Sae began to walk away, before turning her head to face her sister once more. She had something she wanted to say, but… she couldn't really find a way to put it into words. She walked away, leaving Makoto with her thoughts, even though she could hardly comprehend the situation at hand. Principal Kobayakawa committed suicide out of nowhere… that didn't sound right. Something must have happened to him, but… Makoto had no clue. She had no information about it other than the fact that he stopped in the middle of the road, which didn't really say too much in the end. Whether or not there was more to this story or not… that was in Toya's hands now. She could only hope that Toya could figure out.

**September 13th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Early Morning - Shujin Academy**

After practically blacking out the previous night, Toya woke up feeling a lot better. The effects of jet lag were still present, but it was more than manageable at this point. However, there was a more pressing matter at hand than his jet lag. When he arrived at school, he heard that there was an assembly both announced and scheduled for today. The school wouldn't do this for no reason… there had to be something up, but… what? Just as he was pondering to himself what was going on, the vice principal suddenly walked up onto the stage, calmly speaking into the microphone.

"Ahem… we will now begin the emergency morning assembly. As many of you may already know… Principal Kobayakawa passed away yesterday." The entire crowd began to whisper to each other. Principal Kobayakawa… dead? Did that really happen while Toya slept his jet lag away…? "The principal had been working hard to restore peace ever since the incident with Mr. Kamoshida. He only wished for everyone to be able to lead a normal school life, and because of that love… I would like to see everyone live up to our late principal's wishes as proud Shujin students, and…" Suddenly, Toya felt a vibration in his pocket. Who could be trying to contact him now of all times…?

SAE: It's me.

SAE: I need you to look into something again today.

SAE: Are you up for it?

TOYA: It's involving Kobayakawa's death, isn't it?

SAE: Correct.

TOYA: ...Fine. Just tell me when and where you need me.

SAE: I'll be waiting outside your school.

SAE: Come as soon as classes are over for the day.

TOYA: Got it.

Toya put his phone away. Sae needed help investigating this case…? That implied that however Kobayakawa died, it wasn't suicide. There was something more to it… and now, Toya had to be the one to try and figure that out. He looked around the assembly room, and overheard more people whispering. Nearly every conversation had something to do with the Phantom Thieves- to the point where people labeled them as prime suspects. That wasn't possible though… they were all in Hawaii. Either this was really a suicide… or this was the work of someone else. And, if it was the work of someone else… Toya had a strange feeling he knew exactly who could have done it.

**September 13th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Police Station**

The police station… last time Toya was here, he defended the Phantom Thieves. Despite the intensity between him and the group… Toya had to remain consistent in his stance on the Phantom Thieves. He walked inside with Sae and went to the same room as last time- however, the man he spoke to last time wasn't here. Instead, it was only Akechi. There was a big possibility that this went south… but Toya knew that he had to be consistent.

"You two are the only people I have to look into this case, so listen up. As you two should know by now, the principal of Shujin Academy died yesterday, and his death is being labeled as suicide. However, there are… odd circumstances surrounding it."

"Odd circumstances? In what way?" Akechi tilted his head and held on to his chin, while Toya listened closely. Akechi was already very, very aware of what happened. He had a simple job… to make sure Toya thought it was the Phantom Thieves that killed . Normally, this would be rather easy, but… Toya was an exception to this. He single handedly made Sae believe that Genkei Ishida's death wasn't by the Phantom Thieves, so who knows what else he could convince her of? He had to be aware… and he had to outsmart Toya.

"Kobayakawa died because he stopped moving in the middle of a road, and got hit by a truck. Normally, this would be easy to label as a suicide. However, the issue lies in the fact that he died in front of a police station. He even took a taxi to get there. I find it hard to believe that he would go so far out of his way just to kill himself. It doesn't add up."

"You're right, it most certainly doesn't. To me, it sounds like he had a change of heart." Akechi closed his eyes, pretending like he was thinking hard about it. He had to be convincing… that's all. So long as he sounded confident in his answer… he could get this over with quickly.

"I agree. To me, this sounds exactly like a Phantom Thief caused death." Sae might have thought that the Phantom Thieves weren't responsible for Ishida's death, but… that didn't change everything else that they did. "Toya, what do you think?"

"I do agree with the idea that this wasn't suicide. Someone caused this death to happen. However… saying it was the work of the Phantom Thieves is jumping the gun." Toya's eyes were closed, and his tone of voice was calm. In reality, he knew for a fact that the Phantom Thieves couldn't have possibly killed Kobayakawa. The circumstances of this death perfectly matched up with a mental shutdown, but… the Phantom Thieves were on the other side of the world, meaning… it was someone else. Toya couldn't explain that part to them though… he just had to be convincing in his own way.

"How could it be anyone else?" Akechi glared at Toya from the other side of the room. It was coming to this… Akechi didn't like it, but he expected Toya to be against the idea.

"As I said last time we were here, assuming it's the Phantom Thieves immediately after seeing someone go through what appears to be a change of heart or a mental shutdown is never the right thing to do. That would be trying to get work done quickly, rather than getting work done correctly."

"Then how do you explain this? What else could have possibly caused this?" Akechi was clenching his fist underneath his desk. What could Toya possibly come up with that could make it seem like the Phantom Thieves were innocent here?

"The first any of us heard of the Phantom Thieves was when they targeted Suguru Kamoshida of Shujin Academy. However, that wasn't the first time people had heard of these mental shutdowns. They started before the Phantom Thieves became active in late April. Not to mention, the Phantom Thieves have been extremely open about who their targets are. They go out of their way to make calling cards for them and everything. So unless you happen to magically have evidence of a calling card directed to Kobayakawa… your argument falls flat. Then again, considering that I was asked to come here, I think it's safe to assume that you don't have a calling card at all. Isn't that right?" Toya's gaze pierced through Akechi, who was having a hard time controlling his anger. It didn't make sense… why was he so insistent on defending the Phantom Thieves?

"I find it so strange… you're so insistent on defending the very people who killed your brother. Why is that?" Toya's eyes widened, and he felt his anger build up for a moment. Akechi… just what is he trying to do? He took a deep breath and glared at Akechi from the other side of the room, clenching his fists tightly, before taking a deep breath and calming himself down, before speaking again.

"About that… I wanted to bring this up at some point, but I never found the right time to do it." Toya's glare suddenly got much more menacing, as he stared directly into Akechi's eyes. "This is only a theory, and the case has been closed for some time, but… I don't think the Phantom Thieves killed Ken, either." Sae and Akechi took a step back, as their eyes widened. How could Toya say this out of nowhere…? This was a sensitive topic among the three of them… just what was he thinking.

"What are you getting at? I found the calling card myself. Isn't your entire argument that the memo is the most important part of this all?"

"I did say that, yes. I stand by that as well. However… to my knowledge, you are the only person who actually saw that calling card. I live there, and I never even saw it."

"Are you implying that I lied…!?"

"I'm implying that I refuse to trust in blind faith. If you're willing to do such a thing… then you truly didn't learn anything from my brother." Toya turned away from Akechi, now facing Sae, who was sitting in shock after listening to the conversation that was at hand. "But enough about that. Sae, what do you think?"

"I…" Sae panned her eyes away for a moment. She had to consider everything she heard, but after a lot of careful thought, she remembered something her father said to her a long time ago. He told her to always trust her gut, no matter what. "I think it's entirely possible that the Phantom Thieves… might be innocent here." In his head, Akechi was freaking out. How did Toya convince her so easily… why was his word suddenly more important than his? It absolutely infuriated him. Toya… he was becoming a problem for Akechi. He had to deal with him… and he knew exactly how he was going to do this.

* * *


	37. Rampage

**September 13th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Goro Akechi descended down towards the depths of Mementos. He had one goal in mind… one target he needed to take down. A few months ago, he wouldn't have been able to do this. But now… things are different. Since Ken's murder, Akechi's humanity slowly slipped further and further away, to the point where he only used it as a disguise. But now… he didn't need that disguise. He was in the Metaverse, in his true form. A black mask, a blue and gray striped piece of armor, and a long, serrated red sword. This was him… who he really was. He was the person causing psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… he was the one who murdered both Ken Kazero and the principal of Shujin Academy, Kobayakawa. He wasn't even ashamed of it… rather, he was proud. He murdered innocent people in cold blood. A normal person would feel remorse for these actions, but for Akechi, these were just means to an end. He had one goal in mind… to get revenge on his father, the most corrupt person of them all… Masayoshi Shido. Realistically, if he wanted to, he could tear through his Palace and kill him that way, but… that wouldn't be enough of a punishment. He wanted Shido to have his dreams within his grasp, he wanted to watch Shido as he reached his hand out to his dream… and then, in that very moment, Akechi would take everything from him. His hopes… his dreams… and, of course, his life.

However, if he wanted to do that, there were roadblocks he had to get over, and there was one roadblock in particular that proved to be more troublesome than all of the others: a young man by the name of Toya Kazero. Just a few months ago, the two were friends. There were no hard feelings between the two, not in the slightest. Akechi thought Toya was just someone who went through a lot in life, and as a result, he was a bit rougher around the edges at times. That could explain why he went against everything Akechi said every time they've been to the police station, but… there was one exception. After the death of Genkei Ishida, when they were all in the police station together, Toya gave Akechi a look… a glare as cold as ice. That couldn't explain by mere grief… that was something entirely different. Toya… he knew something. He had his brother's brains and skills as a detective, but he was also much more willing to bring up crazy ideas. If Toya was the one who died, Ken would have had no issue saying it was the Phantom Thieves, and declaring them as enemies of the state. But Toya… he was different. He said crazier things, things that Ken would never even dream of saying. However, the worst part of it is… he was right. There's no way that Toya just had a hunch about these things… he definitely knew more than he was letting on. The way he spoke… he knew for a fact that the Phantom Thieves weren't responsible for the deaths, but… how? That was the one thing Akechi could never have an answer to. How did Toya know this? What kinds of information did he have access to that Akechi wasn't aware of? Did he… know who the Phantom Thieves are? Or even… was he one of them? In the end, he didn't know, but… he didn't even care that he didn't know. It bothered him at first, but now… that didn't matter. After all, Toya's information wouldn't matter if he was dead. That's all Akechi had to do… he just had to kill Toya. He's already killed so many people… what was one more?

As he walked further down into Mementos, he had trouble finding a portal. He needed to find a portal to find his Shadow. As he was looking, he heard the sound of stampeding. He turned around, only to see a large pack of minotaurs coming straight for him. He smirked… this would make a good warm up for him. He charged forward, grinning sadistically as he jumped ever so slightly into the air, slicing his sawlike blade through the minotaurs one by one. They didn't even get a chance to attack… Akechi was far more powerful than they could ever dream to be. He was surprised, though… that Shadow was new. That wasn't important though… he could care less where the Shadow was from. He walked around for another 10 minutes or so, but… he couldn't find any portals. He couldn't find Toya's Shadow anywhere… but why? He was starting to get frustrated…

"Where the hell are you…!?" He yelled out, as he heard stampeding once again. He turned around to see skeletons on horses, all charging towards him. He grit his teeth and summoned his Persona, Loki. He held onto his mask, as Loki unleashed powerful fire magic, incinerating all of the Shadows together. But even though they were gone… there was still no portal. Akechi was making light work of all of these Shadows, and was tearing his way through Mementos… but even still, he wasn't able to find the portal. He could feel his anger rise with every passing moment. Every single corner he turned, there was no portal. Toya was nowhere to be seen… and it got to his head more and more. He felt his mind slipping into insanity as he turned another corner, only to see another large band of Shadows all clumped up together. But behind them… there still wasn't a portal. "WHERE…" Akechi started to yell, rushing forward towards the Shadows, who were just now noticing his presence. "...ARE…" Akechi gripped his mask as tightly as he could, as Loki materialized behind him. A large, menacing aura was present around Akechi as he ran forward, glaring at the Shadows, who began to tremble in fear and tried to run away. "...YOU!?" With a blood-curdling scream of frustration, he unleashed one of the strongest spells he had. A large, white explosion engulfed all of the Shadows. The area around him started to break apart with how intense the attack was… and it took a lot out of him. He fell to his knees, panting heavily. He couldn't go on anymore… he had to leave.

**September 13th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

Back in the real world, Akechi rested against a wall to try and regain composure. Why was Toya's Shadow missing from Mementos? There was no explanation… at least, that's what Akechi thought originally. However, it was at that moment that a thought crossed his mind. He took his phone out again, opening the Metaverse Navigator, and typed out Toya's name.

"Match found." Akechi's eyes widened. Toya was a high schooler… and he had a Palace!? He figured Toya was hiding something, but… hiding distorted desires…? Akechi couldn't believe it… but it angered him. He didn't even think about this until now… he just wasted so much time rampaging through Mementos, and for what? He slammed his fist into a wall and grit his teeth, his eyes becoming completely bloodshot. It was getting harder to control himself… harder to regain composure.

"Excuse me, good citizen!" Akechi stopped. He heard someone calling him… someone from close by. He turned his head, and saw a man in a suit approaching him. "I couldn't help but notice your frustration. Is everything okay?" Akechi glared at him. Who the hell does he think he is…? Regardless of that, he had to regain composure, at least for now.

"I'm fine…" Akechi stood up straight, looking towards the man. Something about him pissed him off… or was it that he was already so furious that anything could piss him off? At this point, he couldn't tell the difference… he was too far gone for the night. "Hey… what's your name?"

"My name is Toranosuke Yoshida. I'm a politician, trying to do better for the country!" Yoshida raised one hand in the air as he spoke. Akechi smirked, giving Yoshida a glare as he took out his phone, hovering his thumb over a button that read "Mementos."

"Toranosuke Yoshida…" Akechi chuckled, turning away from Yoshida and looking at his phone screen. "Trust me… I'll remember that." Akechi started to laugh maniacally as he walked down into the station, his eyes still glued on to his phone. Yoshida was confused, but… he didn't want to approach him any further. Something about him was unsettling… or rather, everything about him was.

**September 15th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Shujin Academy**

Toya was bored out of his mind. Yesterday, Sae had called him again to investigate another strange death, someone by the name of Toranosuke Yoshida. However, this death was… worse. It was even more gruesome than Ken's death. Whoever it was… it was like they were a complete psychopath. Nobody in the Phantom Thieves fit that description at all, so the only option left was Akechi, but… he wasn't a complete psycho, was he? He had a Palace, so it wasn't impossible. Either way, he couldn't do anything about it- not yet. He had no clue what Akechi's keywords were. He walked out of his classroom and felt a vibration in his pocket, praying it wasn't Sae.

MAKOTO: Are you available today?

TOYA: Yeah. I don't think there's anything more for me to investigate.

TOYA: What's up? Do you wanna do something?

MAKOTO: I was actually wondering if we could go into Okumura's Palace today.

MAKOTO: I've been spending a lot of my free time training, and I even figured out his keywords yesterday.

TOYA: You already found them out?

MAKOTO: It wasn't really hard to figure out.

MAKOTO: I mean, he owns "Big Bang" Burger. It didn't take much time to come to the conclusion that it's a space station.

TOYA: Fair point…

TOYA: Anyways, you want to go in now?

MAKOTO: Yes, please.

TOYA: Alright. I'll meet you at the school gate.

MAKOTO: Got it!

Toya was so thankful that it wasn't Sae this time… he probably would've died of boredom if he had to go back in today. He quickly made his way towards the school gate, eager to do something else for a change.

**September 15th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Okumura's Palace (Facility Passageway)**

Entering the Metaverse, Toya and Makoto instantly noticed that they were already in their different attire. It didn't really surprise them that much. However, the thing that did surprise them was Toya's attire. He was wearing the same black leather that he had when he transformed against Ishida. He even had the gauntlets. It was weird, but it helped. After all, he lost his hookshot, but he still had the gauntlets to maneuver around, so he would be just as mobile as he already was. The two went down an elevator and continued through the space station. Everything was so high tech… it was almost like they were in the future. As they walked around the Palace, they suddenly heard something going on. They looked over a railway, and saw… robots, who all had the Big Bang Burger logo on them. Toya and Makoto kept watching, until suddenly, one of the robots collapsed onto the ground. A robot next to it stopped moving for a second in response… but then kept on, as if nothing even happened.

"Is this… how Okumura sees his workers…?" Toya gripped the railway tightly. His workers… they were just robots to him…? "It's a good thing you found out his keywords. This guy is twisted… this is practically slavery."

"I can't believe this… it's horrible…!" Makoto took a step back. What they saw… it fueled their will to go on. They weren't entirely sure of how bad Okumura was, but now… now they were sure that he had to be stopped, and they had the power to do it. They turned around and ran through the Palace, going down various hallways and going through doors that would open and close automatically, in a method that looked far too complicated. However, one of the doors they saw… closed as soon as they walked up to it. Toya walked up to the door, before suddenly, a robot voice began to play.

"PERFORMING BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION."

"What does it mean by that?" Makoto's eyes widened, as Toya looked closely at the door.

"AUTHORIZATION ERROR. ONLY REGISTERED PERSONNEL MAY PROCEED PAST THIS POINT."

"Biometric authentication… how are we gonna get past this?" Toya tilted his head, while taking a closer look. There was no way they could force the door open, even if they both used their Personas, so… how were they going to get past it?

"Halt, vigilante!" Suddenly, a girl's voice came from the other side of the room. Toya and Makoto turned their heads, and saw a girl standing atop a large scaffold. The way she was dressed… was she a Persona user? Regardless of that, she seemed so determined when she first spoke, however… that motivation turned into doubt fairly quickly. She seemed more nervous now than anything else. She simply stared at Toya and Makoto for a moment, not even saying anything else.

"Okay, who exactly are you?" Toya spoke up, walking slightly forward while staring into the girl's eyes. But still… she didn't say anything. Toya tried to figure out who this could possibly be, but before he could, he heard a weird laughter.

"Enough of your misunderstandings!" Toya and Makoto turned their heads ever so slightly, as… a cat walked by, standing next to her. The cat tried to speak, but his eyes suddenly widened as he got a closer look at Toya and Makoto. "Wait… you're…!"

"So that's what this is, then." Toya sighed, slowly walking further forward. "I thought I told Yusuke to tell his team _not_ to come here. What happened to that?" The cat simply froze in place. He was expecting to see the Phantom Thieves… not Toya, of all people. "Your name is Morgana, isn't it? Who's this girl you're with?"

"This is… Beauty Thief!" Toya and Makoto stared blankly at Morgana and this so called… 'Beauty Thief'.

"Beauty Thief…?" Makoto was even more confused than Toya was. Toya mentioned a talking cat once, but she didn't expect it to look so… cartoony? She couldn't really put into words what he looked like.

"My name is Beauty Thief!"

"Didn't Morgana literally _just_ say that?" Admittedly, Toya and Makoto had felt some tension in the air once they heard the girl's voice call out to them, but… it was long gone by this point. The two of them jumped down from the scaffold, as they got into… bizarre poses, to say the least.

"We will take the Treasure!" They were trying to be intimidating, but… it was just embarrassing.

"Okay, this is getting boring." Toya crossed his arms, staring into Beauty Thief's eyes for a moment. "I don't know you, and you don't know me. However, I can take one look at you, and I can already tell that you have no idea what you're doing. Morgana put you up to this, didn't he?" Beauty Thief was… at a bit of a loss for words. Toya was completely right, but… she wasn't expecting him to just say it. Toya bent his knees and got lower to the ground, averting his gaze from her to Morgana. "And you… I don't even care why the Phantom Thieves are missing, honestly. If anything, that's a good thing for me. But I can take a look at you and tell that you're absolutely clueless as well."

"What!? I'm not clueless at all!"

"You're not? Take a look at your new friend over here. Out of everyone on this planet you could have chosen as a partner, you chose _her?_ She's not even pretending like she's enjoying this. She looks like she just wants to go home. Let me guess- you tried going through this Palace alone, got humiliated while trying, and got the first person you saw." Morgana kind of just stared. Toya was completely right, but… he didn't want to admit it. Toya backed away, looking back towards Makoto. "You have any ideas?"

"They don't seem like they're gonna do any harm… maybe we can just leave them alone?" Toya and Makoto considered their options, before suddenly, they heard a door opening. They turned their heads, and took a step back as soon as they saw who was here… the Phantom Thieves themselves.

"Mona…? Wait, you're…!" Akira was the first to notice Toya in the room. There was a pause, as everyone in the room looked at each other. There were three different groups of people in the room now, and to top it all off, they were all in the Metaverse of all places. Toya wanted to avoid this happening… this was gonna be a problem.

"I thought I told you all to stay away." Toya stood up straight, walking forward and extending one arm out, slightly covering Makoto from their sight.

"What are you doing with Mona!?" Yusuke forward, staring right at Toya.

"Nothing. If anything, I'm trying to get him to leave. Take him back, I won't stop you." Toya spoke calmly. He really wasn't trying to start a fight, but… he had a strange feeling that was going to happen anyways.

"Get away from him, Mona!" Suddenly, a new voice was heard. Toya looked around, before seeing someone he didn't recognize. She was pretty young… at least a year or two younger than everyone else.

"Wait, who's that behind you?" Ann looked towards Hazard, trying to see the girl behind him. Makoto stepped out from behind him, facing the Phantom Thieves head on.

"Call me Queen." She stood next to Toya, who looked towards her with worry for a moment, before nodding, then turning towards the Phantom Thieves. The entire group slowly walked forward, and it felt like the tension in the room was suddenly higher than they all thought possible. All of a sudden… things had gotten infinitely more serious. They all exchanged glares, before suddenly, they heard the sound of a door opening. They turned to the door where they all had entered from, and saw Morgana and Beauty Thief running away.

"Hey, come back!" They didn't even turn around in response to Ryuji yelling out to them. He grunted, turning towards Toya and Makoto as his weapon materialized in his hands. "Joker, you go after them! We'll deal with these two!" Everyone else nodded in response to Ryuji's claim. Akira turned towards Toya and Makoto once more… before he started running in the opposite direction, chasing after Morgana.

"So, it's coming down to this? Fine." Toya's gunblade materialized in his hands, keeping a tight grip on it. "We'll take you all on, just like you want!" Makoto's weapon materialized in her hands as Toya spoke, as the two got into position, ready to fight.

"There's nowhere to run this time, Hazard!" Ryuji yelled out, as everyone else drew their weapons out as well. Toya grit his teeth, as he pressed his fingers to his blade, sliding them across it while staring directly at Ryuji in particular. He didn't want to do this, but… he had no choice. The showdown between the rivaled teams of vigilantes was finally going to go down...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 41
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eiga - Medium Curse damage to one foe.  
Snap - Medium Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeiga - Medium Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Dormina - Inflict Sleep (high odds) to 1 foe.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 43)  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.
> 
> Anat  
LV 40
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freila - Medium Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Mafreila - Medium Nuclear damage to all foes.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Diarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of 1 ally.  
Rakukaja - Buff defense of 1 ally for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Parry - 5% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 41)  
Mediarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of party.
> 
> Seiten Taisei  
LV 38
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Zionga - Medium Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Mazio - Light Electric damage to all foes.  
Assault Dive - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Swift Strike - Light Physical damage to all foes 3x to 4x.  
Tarukaja - Buff attack power of 1 ally for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 43)  
Mazionga - Medium Electric damage to all foes.
> 
> Hecate  
LV 40
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Agilao - Medium Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragion - Medium Fire damage to all foes.  
Diarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of 1 ally.  
Tarunda - Debuff attack power of 1 foe for 3 turns.  
Dekaja - Negate all buff effects of all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 41)  
Matarunda - Debuff attack power of all foes for 3 turns.
> 
> Kamu Susano-o  
LV 38
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Bufala - Medium Ice damage to 1 foe. Rare chance of Freeze.  
Mabufu - Light Ice damage to all foes. Rare chance of Freeze.  
Mind Slice - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting a physical attack.  
Sukukaja - Buff agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 40)  
Mabufala - Medium Ice damage to all foes.


	38. Showtime (1 of 2)

**September 15th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Okumura's Palace (Facility Passageway)**

As soon as the battle began, Toya instantly jumped backwards, getting out of the way as Ryuji and Yusuke both charged towards him together. He'd have to play this fight out very carefully. If both Ryuji and Yusuke were going to go after him together, then he'd have no chance of just fighting them head on. Instead, he'd have to kite them out and tire them out, and capitalize off of the opportunities created. It's a tactful way of thinking, and it's risky, but it's the best option Toya has. He knew he was stronger than the two of them, but he wouldn't be able to just take them head on. All he needed to do was be smart… and then, he would be able to secure an easy victory. After finalizing his strategy in his head, he focused on the fight, and watch Ryuji and Yusuke charge towards him, side by side. He jumped to his side, evading both of them at once and pointing his blade towards them, opening fire. However, Yusuke was able to deflect the shots with relative ease, sending them back in Toya's direction. He was able to simply get out of the way of them, so ultimately, the fight was still at a standstill.

"What's wrong? You gonna spend the entire fight running away again!?" Ryuji yelled at Toya, feeling his anger already get a hold of him as he remembered details from their last fight. Toya smirked, gripping his blade tighter and pointing it towards the two of them.

"You don't expect me to fight both of you at the same time, do you? Only you would be stupid enough to do something like that."

"You little…!" Ryuji charged in ahead of Yusuke, reeling his weapon back and trying to smash it against Toya's head. He simply ducked under Ryuji's attack, and used the free opportunity he had to punch Ryuji in the gut, making him wince in pain and slowly back off, as Toya created more space between the two again.

"Take this!" Toya looked up, and suddenly noticed Yusuke in the air with his blade in hand, bringing it down in Toya's direction. He quickly brought his own blade up, defending himself with it as the two of them grit their teeth, pushing against each other. "You're going to regret deceiving me for so long…!"

"Am I? You'll have to try much harder than that, then!" Toya and Yusuke both continued to push against each other's blades, pushing as hard as they possibly could.

"Hazard!" Makoto turned towards Toya and started running over to help him, but as soon as she started running, she was tripped by something, falling down to the ground. She slowly picked herself back up and turned around, only to see Ann standing behind her, her eyes burning right into Makoto's as she gripped her whip tightly.

"Queen, huh…?" Ann spoke softly, but with a subtle bit of malice hidden in her voice. "Don't pretend like I can't tell who you are under that mask, Niijima." Makoto slowly picked herself up, staring back at Ann. "...You knew, didn't you?"

"Knew? What are you talking about?"

"Everything Kamoshida was doing. All of the people who were suffering because of him… you knew all about it, right?" Makoto was suddenly ridden with guilt. It was true… she knew very well what Kamoshida was doing, but… there was nothing she could ever do about it. She slowly nodded while her eyes averted away from Ann's, but as her gaze shifted away, she noticed something. Ann was… visibly shaking. It wasn't out of fear, either. The look on her face, and the way she was gripping her whip… that was rage in its purest form. "Do you know how much people suffered… because you refused to help!?" Ann started to yell, as one of her hands slowly moved up to her mask. "Shiho Suzui… she was the closest friend I've ever had. She jumped off the school rooftop because of Kamoshida's abuse! And you did NOTHING!?" Ann suddenly attempted to hit Makoto with her whip, but Makoto was able to just barely get out of the way of it.

"Slow down! There's nothing I could have done-"

"Stop lying to me!" Ann tried hitting Makoto again- this time, even harder. She wasn't gonna listen anytime soon… Makoto had no choice but to fight back. She started to charge forward, trying to close the distance between her and Ann, trying not to get hit by her whip. The way she was cracking it down to the ground… she definitely had more raw power than she did, which was boosted up even further with how much rage she had at the moment. However, with that whip… she wouldn't be able to fight in close range. That's where she would be able to win out, but to do that, she had to close the distance. Ripping off her mask, Makoto summoned her newly evolved Persona, Anat. After appearing, Anat quickly shifted its body around and morphed into a motorcycle, prompting her to mount on top of it and drive forward, quickly getting rid of most of the distance between her and Ann. However, as soon as she started getting closer, a green aura surrounded her, speeding her up and allowing her to jump to the right, dodging out of the way.

"Your Persona is a transformer!? You two are totally overpowered! Did you pay to win or something!?" Looking up in the air, Makoto noticed what appeared to be a giant orb, colored green and black. She was confused at first, but then she remembered something… she remembered seeing a young girl with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, but she was absent from the fight. That must have been her in there… meaning that giant orb is actually a Persona. Makoto grit her teeth, before looking back towards Ann, who still had a green aura surrounding her. Suddenly, she took off her mask, revealing her Persona, Hecate, to Makoto for the first time. This was her first time fighting another Persona user, so it was hard for her to really imagine how she was going to fight this. While she was lost in thought on how she was going to deal with this new threat, she noticed a blue flame erupt from Ann's face, as her Persona began an attack. She jumped out of the way, just barely escaping a blast of fire that was aimed straight for her. This was suddenly a huge problem for her… she had to rethink her strategy of getting in closer. As it stood now, she wouldn't be able to shorten the distance anywhere near enough to put herself in an advantageous state.

Meanwhile, Ryuji and Yusuke were still trying to close in on Toya. He was doing a good job of evading them and getting hits in where he could, but he couldn't capitalize as much as he wanted to. He had to play incredible defensively, just to make sure that he didn't take unnecessary hits. In his first fight with Ryuji… once he got hit once, he took more damage than he had ever taken up to that point- much more than he ever took while fighting against the various Shadows in Mementos. This time… there were two people, and they didn't have the intention of just letting him walk away unscathed. He watched them closely as they suddenly split up, and began to charge at Toya from different angles. He grit his teeth and looked towards Yusuke, before pointing his blade towards him, aiming at his legs and unloading his ammunition. Yusuke deflected some shots, but not enough to fully protect him. After feeling the bullet rip through his legs, he was forced to stop, falling down to the ground in pain. However, when Toya turned his head, he saw that Ryuji was already about to reach him. Not having the time to dodge the attack, he instead charged forward, pulling his blade back and slashing forward, colliding with Ryuji's weapon. Toya looked into Ryuji's eyes, seeing nothing but pure rage present in them. For months now, Ryuji has wanted revenge… he's wanted a chance to fight Toya again, and to beat him this time. If he failed now… he'd never get a chance again. That fear gave him a large amount of determination, one that was only present when he fought against Kamoshida. So much emotion went into this fight… he refused to fail.

He recalled back to the first fight they had, and remembered what happened the last time they were in a situation like this. They were pushing against each other just like this… but then, Toya pulled a cheap trick and kicked him in his bad leg, which won him the fight almost instantly. Ryuji smirked, before suddenly reeling his head back and smashing it against Toya's. The sheer impact of their heads colliding made them both bounce back in a daze, as Toya held on to his head and tried to regain his composure. However, as he did, he heard the sound of a Persona being summoned. It wasn't Ryuji… it was Yusuke. To Toya's surprise, Yusuke was standing on two feet, and his legs were somehow… completely healed of all damage. That seemed impossible at first, until Toya took a look up at the sky, and saw a giant, black and green orb floating above them. This had to be a Persona… and it must have healed Yusuke. That was the only explanation. His Persona stood behind him, before it began to charge an attack. Suddenly, a blast of ice magic came flying towards him, aimed right at Toya's head. He didn't have the time to dodge this one… instead, he summoned his own Persona, firing off a blast of dark magic that collided with the blast of ice, causing a massive explosion. Once the smoke cleared, Ryuji and Yusuke looked where Toya was standing, only to see a massive, formless Shadow behind him, with the only noteworthy assets being the unsettling silver eyes and smile. Ryuji visually trembled, taking steps back as he recalled the first time he saw this. Yusuke was shaken up as well, this being the first time he got a good look at it. Something about it gave off such a menacing aura… it practically screamed terror.

"What's wrong?" Toya chuckled under his breath as he began to slowly walk forward. "Lost your nerve?" Ryuji's face of concern continued to show, before he forced himself to shake it off, getting up on his feet and taking his mask off, summoning his own Persona, which had evolved since the last time he and Toya fought. Toya took note of it, but it didn't matter. He knew he was still stronger… but he had to start putting more effort forward if he was going to win this fight in the end. Ryuji and Yusuke both began charging blasts of magic, as Toya did the same thing in response. They all fired towards each other, causing another explosion to fill the area around them with smoke, blocking their vision entirely.

Meanwhile, Makoto and Ann were still fighting, even though neither of them could do much damage to the other. Makoto's quick movements got her out of Ann's onslaught of fire, but Ann's range much better. She had to be smart about approaching… that's when she got an idea. Back in Ishida's Palace, she did something that completely threw a Shadow off. Ripping off her mask and summoning her Persona once more, she unleashed a massive blast of nuclear energy at the ground, creating a smokescreen that covered the area surrounding them. Ann looked around, but she couldn't tell where she was at all. The thick cloud of smoke completely covered her surroundings, until suddenly, she saw the motorcycle quickly come out from the cloud. She ripped her mask off and prepared to strike, before suddenly hearing Futaba yell out to her.

"Don't get tricked, Panther! The bike is bait, she's right behind you!" Putting her faith in Futaba, Ann jumped to the side, getting out of the way of the bike and shooting a powerful blast of fire magic directly behind her, hitting Makoto head on and sending her flying back. Makoto landed on her feet, wincing in pain as she stared at the Persona that was in the air. She couldn't pull a trick like that off… not with her watching the fight as closely as she was.

"Even if you have someone helping you like that… I'm still going to win!" Makoto brought her Persona back to her, before casting a spell that healed herself for the damage she took. This fight was a complete stalemate… and she couldn't rely on tricks like that anymore. She had to be smart, rather than just tricky. She got back onto Anat and started to drive straight towards Ann, a fierce look of determination on her face. She waited for a moment and as she got closer, she saw that same green aura surround Ann, and watch her begin jumping to the right once more… just as Makoto predicted. She smirked, before suddenly jumping off of Anat, flying through the air directly towards where Ann dodged. She reeled her fist back, before pushing forward, feeling her fist smash against Ann's face, sending her flying back. She charged forward while Ann was still too hurt to dodge, landing a kick to her face, and then another punch to her chest, sending her flying the first time in the fight.

"Damn it…" Ann slowly got to her feet, wincing in pain. The extent of Makoto's power… she had no chance at beating her up close. She needed to find a way to keep Makoto off of her… but how was she going to do that? She grit her teeth, before casting a healing spell of her own. Once again, the fight was even… but now, Makoto knew she could land hits on her if she was smart about it. That was the only way she could win.

While Ann was caught up in her own battle, Ryuji and Yusuke still had their hands tied trying to take Toya down. He was clearly stronger and smarter than the two of them, even their teamwork wasn't overwhelming him yet. He fought defensively when he had to, and when the opportunity presented itself, he always made use of it. He was skilled… however, Ryuji had an idea. There was one thing he had left that could take Toya down.

"Fox… it's time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. _That_ attack!" Ryuji grit hit teeth, staring down Toya while reaching into his pocket. Yusuke thought to himself for a moment, trying to figure out what Ryuji could possibly be referencing, until he suddenly realized what he meant.

"Are you sure we can pull that off? We've never tried it on even a Shadow, let alone a real person…"

"It's our only option. You start it off, and I'll throw it in while Hazard is overwhelmed, got it!?" Yusuke stared at Ryuji for a moment, before facing towards Toya again and pulling out his gun. Toya took a step back… Yusuke's had a gun this entire time? He was surprised, but… it was fine. Suddenly, Yusuke started to open fire, but… his aim was pretty bad, to say the least. Toya was able to deflect a majority of the shots that were sent his way, while the rest of them completely missed. Toya smirked, and tried to say something, but before he did, he noticed that Ryuji was suddenly throwing something straight at him. Instinctively, Toya caught it and looked at it… it was a grenade. Where did Ryuji even get this!? Toya thought to himself for just a brief moment, before he winded his arm up, and threw it back towards Ryuji. However, as soon as it left his hands, he got a look at Yusuke. Yusuke was aiming, putting as much focus into his aim as possible. His body was still and he was holding his breath, but… he wasn't aiming at Toya, not directly. Suddenly, he pulled the trigger, opening fire on the grenade that had just left Toya's hand, blowing it up right in Toya's face and sending him flying away, crashing into the wall behind him and denting it with the sheer impact it made. The explosion was loud enough to get the attention of both Ann and Makoto, as they looked over and saw Toya fly through the air and into the wall, his body slowly sliding down to the floor.

"HAZARD!" Makoto ran towards him, but as soon as she turned around, she felt Ann's whip hit her leg, causing her to fall down once again.

"Your fight is with me, Queen!" Makoto's eyes widened, but she couldn't even focus on the danger in front of her. That attack Toya took… that was way more than he had ever taken before. She didn't even know if he was alive anymore after that. Panic overcame her, as she got on to her feet and started dodging around, trying to process everything before continuing to fight.

Meanwhile, Ryuji and Yusuke were walking towards Toya, who was on the floor now, coughing up blood while his body shook in pain. He was covered in soot and ash as he looked up towards the two of them. He could barely even move a muscle… he was in so much pain, he could barely describe it. Ryuji and Yusuke felt little to no remorse for him though. To them, Toya was getting everything he deserved.

"_Please… help…"_

Again…

"_The only one… potential…"_

This voice…

"_Save The… untimely demise…"_

"Who am I supposed to save…?" Toya thought to himself, trying to process what this all meant.

"_Unlock… secret of The…"_

Secret… of the what…?

"_Darkness… inside of you…"_

The darkness inside… that's when Toya remembered. There was one thing he had left… one way he could survive this encounter. He hated it. He hated everything about it. Thinking about it hurt him, but… he had no choice left. Besides… whether he wanted to or not was irrelevant now. His mind and thought process… it was already slipping away, and giving in to the hunger he felt in his heart.

"**You pieces of shit…" **Toya's body continued to twitch and shake, but now, it wasn't so much out of pain. It was something else… something sinister. There was a dark aura emanating around him, as his body shook more and more violently. Out of sheer intimidation, Ryuji and Yusuke stepped back, while Toya managed to get up on his two feet. "**Every corner I turn… every choice I make… for the past few months, I had to triple guess every single decision… because I knew that if I slipped up even once- if I made even the smallest mistake, you so called 'heroes of justice' would swoop down and assault me. But since you all work in this twisted world of cognition, you hide from the natural law and order of the world." **Toya's voice was different. He spoke in a low, menacing tone. Something about him was different… in a scary way. Ryuji remembered when Toya did something similar to this during their first fight, but… it wasn't the same. This time, Toya didn't just seem angry… he gave off a different, and more intimidating vibe. Suddenly, Toya started to chuckle, as a purple flame appeared behind his mask.

"What the hell… w-what are you doing!?" Ryuji's eyes widened as he yelled out to Toya, but there was no response. Toya just continued to chuckle and twitch while slowly opening his eyes. Ryuji and Yusuke looked at him, but his eyes… they were different now. There was a golden outline around them, and they were completely bloodshot.

"Whoa… for real!? This power level…!" Futaba sat in her Persona, while staring down at Toya, watching his power skyrocket higher and higher by the second. "Watch out! This guy's a… monster!" Before Ryuji and Yusuke could react, Toya ripped off his mask, as a large, purple flame erupted around him, pushing Ryuji and Yusuke back, even Ann and Makoto felt the impact. Everyone in the room had their eyes on Toya, as he stood on his feet. His body was twitching rapidly as he looked at Ryuji and Yusuke, with a golden outline around his eyes. The scariest part about this, though… was the Persona behind him. It wasn't Diabolos anymore… it was something else. Something that looked… demonic. With a tall, lanky figure, a condescending pose, and a lack of any kind of emotion… the Phantom Thieves felt their bodies shake to their very core- even Makoto was shaken up.

"**You wanna play vigilante and pretend to be heroes!? Fine! You can keep pretending to be heroes, and I..." **Toya's blade materialized in his hands once again, as he pointed it towards them. "**I SHALL BE THE JUDGE!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto  
LV 62
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Pandemonium - Automatically applies Call of Chaos on user at start of battle.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Oblivion - Severe Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	39. Showtime (2 of 2)

**September 15th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Okumura's Palace (Facility Passageway)**

Filled with fear, Ryuji and Yusuke continued backing away from Toya, who was suddenly looking more intimidating than ever. They always thought he had a dark side, but this… this is something entirely different. The way he talked, and the way his body twitched with every passing moment, not to mention the bloodshot look in his eyes and golden outline around them… everything about him now was terrifying. Not only that, but the Persona behind him was even scarier than Diabolos. With tall, lanky limbs, an expressionless face and a condescending pose… it was intimidating already. But to add on to the intimidation and fear, the rest of its features were equally as unnerving. It looked demonic, yet was dressed up like a court jester, of all things.

"What's wrong? Where'd all that bravado from earlier go?" Toya grinned, slowly walking forward with a tight grip on his blade.

"You son of a… what the hell are you!?" Ryuji yelled out to Toya, who simply laughed in response, tilting his head while staring at the two of them.

"I'm a million different things now, Ryuji. But most of all…" Toya stopped to chuckle, which slowly turned into a loud, maniacal laughter. "**I'M THE ONE WHO WILL JUDGE YOU!" **With a demented tone and devilish grin, Toya suddenly charged forward, moving faster than Ryuji and Yusuke were prepared for. Yusuke brought his blade up to defend himself as Toya rushed towards him, their blades colliding with Toya pushing against Yusuke. Yusuke grit his teeth and tried pushing back, but Toya seemed infinitely stronger than he was at this point. Not only that, but the crazed look in his eyes… it confirmed Yusuke's suspicion, the suspicion he had in Hawaii. There was a dark side to Toya… a side of himself that he hid from the world, one that… didn't even seem human. That look in his eyes… that crazed, blood lusted look in his eyes… it said a lot, even more than the small speech he made at first. It almost seemed like… he wasn't even there anymore. It was like he was possessed by something- something hungry for power, and control.

However, for now… Yusuke couldn't worry about that. He had to worry about what he knew for sure- and that was how much stronger Toya was, and how much danger he was in. Their blades continued to clash, causing the sound of steel smacking against steel to quickly fill the room, until suddenly, Ryuji ran towards them, jumping into the air.

"Get the hell away from him!" Ryuji rapidly descended downwards, ready to strike Toya. However, Toya was prepared for this. He took one hand off of his blade to punch Yusuke,stunning him for just long enough for him to take a hold of him, using him as a human shield and blocking Ryuji's attack. Ryuji tried to stop his attack, but he wasn't fast enough. His weapon collided with Yusuke's head, the sheer impact of it being enough to knock him completely unconscious. His blade fell out of his hand as Toya laughed, still holding him in his hands, while Ryuji stared at him in shock. "You bastard…!"

"Me? Please… that was _all_ you. I don't think you should worry about him anymore though..." Gripping his body tighter, Toya threw Yusuke's unconscious body to the other side of the room, sprawled out on the floor. He tilted his head, showing a demented smile as a purple flame began to rage around him.

"FOX!" Ann looked over to the other fight once again, seeing Yusuke's limp body on the floor. She couldn't focus on her fight with Makoto anymore… she had to help them. She began to run towards Ryuji and Toya, reeling her whip back and getting ready to strike, but for some reason, she couldn't attack. Her whip was completely stuck. She turned her head and saw Makoto, who was gripping the whip tightly as she stared into Ann, a determined look in her eyes.

"Your fight is with ME!" She yanked on the whip, causing Ann to lose focus and get dragged right towards her. As she was getting close, Makoto clenched her fist tightly and punched her right in her face, bringing her down to the ground. She then gripped Ann by her legs, spinning her around for a moment before throwing her to the other side of the room, as far away from Toya as possible. She flew through the air, before spinning around mid air and landing on her feet, putting one hand to the ground to keep her balance. She grit her teeth, before reaching behind her and pulling a gun out, aiming directly at Makoto.

"Fine! I won't hold back!" With a fierce look in her eyes, Ann began to open fire in Makoto's direction, shooting wildly without even trying to aim. She was desperate to end the fight quickly… but that was a good thing. This meant she was gonna be reckless- even more so than before. Makoto ran around for a few moments before taking her mask off, mounting on top of her Persona once more. She began to drive, and surrounded herself with a blue aura, increasing her durability enough to be able to take a couple hits without even feeling it. She knew she was stronger… she just had to prove it. If she could get through Ann's relentless assault without suffering much damage, then this was an easy victory for her. But that look in Ann's eyes… she was nowhere close to done yet. She kept one hand on her mask while mindlessly firing in Makoto's general direction, trying to connect anything. However, Makoto was faster, and able to tank any shot that actually hit her with complete ease. However, as Makoto was closing the distance between the two of them, Ann suddenly threw her gun right at her. Unsure of what to do, Makoto grabbed it and threw it away, but just as she did, Ann took her mask off. Makoto tried to jump away, but just before she could, she got burned by Ann's fire, sending her back and causing her to fall to the ground. She was somehow still managing to use strategy even though she was acting like she was so desperate… it had to be adrenaline. Makoto could outlast her if she fought correctly, but… that wasn't going to be easy to pull off.

Meanwhile, Toya and Ryuji's fight was going on, and thanks to Futaba, the fight was still managing to be relatively even. Toya still had an advantage, but Ryuji was able to last a lot longer thanks to Futaba's buffs and healing. Whenever Toya would try to strike, she would make Ryuji faster, allowing him to either block attacks with his own weapon or dodge out of the way entirely. Any time he got hit, Futaba was able to heal him back up to good health, so there was much less danger. However, this was starting to irritate Toya.

"If you're just gonna keep healing… then I'll finish this in one single attack!" Toya ripped off his mask, summoning Mephisto once more. With a snap of its fingers, Mephisto summoned a large, purple gun right in front of it. It spun around counter-clockwise once, as Mephisto charged up a powerful wind based attack, firing it directly at Ryuji. Having no chance at dodging, Ryuji closed his eyes and clenched his fists, covering his face with his arms and trying to defend himself.

"Nooo!" Futaba yelled out from the air, as suddenly, a massive, green barrier formed around Ryuji. The barrier defended him from Mephisto's blast of wind, just barely saving Ryuji's life. He looked up at Futaba, sweat trailing down his face as he displayed a look of panic.

"You…" Toya looked up at the floating Persona, clenching his fists tightly. That attack should have ended this fight entirely… but instead, the girl in that Persona blocked it entirely. With pure rage flowing through his mind, Toya picked up Yusuke's blade, and pointed his gauntlet towards Futaba's Persona. "**YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" **Futaba's eyes widened in fear as suddenly, a grappling hook came flying out of Toya's gauntlet. It lodged itself into the wall ceiling above Futaba, dragging him all the way into the air. Still gripping Yusuke's blade tightly, he yanked his hook out of the ceiling and landed directly on Futaba's Persona. She looked at him, feeling absolutely horrified, before Toya suddenly lodged Yusuke's blade straight through it, stabbing right through her chest, just inches away from her heart. She gasped in both and shock and pain, before suddenly, her eyes started going white. Her Persona began to fade away, as Toya jumped off.

"ORACLE!" Ryuji came charging in her direction, jumping into the air and catching her. He landed on the ground, as Toya simply stared, chuckling to himself. "Hey, wake up! Oracle! Answer me!" Nothing. She was breathing, but… just barely. She didn't even know what was going on anymore. She couldn't hear Ryuji scream out to her or feel him shake her body. She could barely even see anything… it was so dark, and she felt so… cold. Ryuji pulled the sword out of her chest, dropping it to the ground as he kept desperately trying to shake her. "No… Damn it…!" Tears began to stream down Ryuji's cheek, as he slowly let her down, letting her rest on the floor, leaning against the wall with Yusuke's blood covered sword in front of her. He banged his fist against the wall, cursing himself for allowing this to even happen.

"What's wrong?" From the other side of the room, Ryuji head Toya's condescending tone, as he stared directly at both him and Futaba. "You should be worrying about yourself, Skull. You have nobody left to defend you." Ryuji clenched his fists as tightly as he could, turning around to face him.

"What you did in Mementos… that was one thing. You can call it self defense if you want, nobody could blame you. Your condescending attitude… that's another thing. You can call yourself hurt from losing your brother. But…" Ryuji slowly walked forward, clutching his weapon tightly while gripping his mask. "Hurting an innocent girl… stabbing her with a giant sword and nearly killing her on the spot…?" Ryuji stopped moving, staring straight into Toya's soul. He didn't even look stunned… he looked more amused than anything else. Seeing how cocky he still was, and how he showed no remorse at all… that was the last straw. "You're beyond redemption. To hell with a change of heart… you deserve the same fate your brother got!" Suddenly, Toya stopped laughing. Any form of amusement from his face… was suddenly gone. Ryuji touched a nerve- a sensitive one. There was no need for words anymore… they had nothing left to say. With a frenzied look in their eyes, the two of them rushed into each other, letting their anger take complete control of their actions. No amount of logic and reasoning could stop them at this point… all they wanted to do was fight each other, and end the tension that's been boiling between the two for the past few months. Everything was cultivating into one final showdown between the two.

However, the odds were… uneven, to say the very least. Toya was stronger than Ryuji without the boost from Mephisto, but with it… it becomes almost unfair how much stronger he truly is. However, even with how unfair the fight truthfully was, Ryuji wasn't even afraid. There was a burning determination deep within his soul after seeing what Toya did- one that wouldn't let him give in. with a tight grip on his weapon it right in Toya's direction, trying to bash his head in. Toya quickly ducked under the attack and brought his blade up preparing himself to strike. However, Ryuji was able to block the attack just barely. Once again, they were in a position of trying to push against each other, only this time, Toya wasn't willing to let things go on for anywhere near as long. He ducked down once again and dropped his blade, getting out of the way of Ryuji's attack and landing a punch right to his gut, followed by another punch directly to his face, sending Ryuji back and causing him to nearly lose his balance, but he was able to just barely keep standing. Toya didn't even pick his blade back up, he simply charged in with his fists clenched, ready to strike Ryuji once again. Ryuji ripped off his mask and clenched his fists tightly, causing a red aura to suddenly appear around him, before he threw his weapon at Toya. There was much more force in this throw than anything Ryuji had done before… he was stronger now. Toya grabbed Ryuji's weapon and threw it to the ground, not caring for weaponry anymore, and neither did Ryuji. They were ready to destroy each other with their own two hands at this point, and so it's exactly what they did. Reeling their fists back, they started to have a real fist fight. But between Ryuji's inexperience and Toya's lack of self control, the fight was completely brutal. They both landed hit after hit on each other, neither of them willing to back down from the fight.

However, they weren't the only two that were close quarters. On the other side of the room, Makoto finally closed the distance between her and Ann, and her victory was finally ensured. Between all of the punches and kicks Makoto was now landing onto Ann, her victory was ensured. With one final kick to the head, she sent Ann flying across the room, all the way towards Toya and Ryuji. Taking note of this, Toya grabbed Ryuji, keeping him locked in place for a brief moment before suddenly, Ann's body came crashing into his, their heads banging against each other. It was just enough to put Ryuji in a daze, before with one more punch, Toya was able to fully knock him out, leaving all 4 of the Phantom Thieves who were present completely knocked out, and unable to retire anymore. Makoto looked over at Toya, then put her head down, trying to catch her breath.

"That's… not what I was expecting when I got here…" She stood still for a bit, trying to regain her composure, and her breath. However… she noticed that for some reason, Toya wasn't even responding to her. She looked over in his direction, only to see that he was standing just in front of a wall, crouching down near what looked like a katana… but it was covered in blood. It wasn't Toya's though, it was someone else's. She made her way closer to Toya, only to see a small girl resting against the wall, blood pouring out of her chest. She was breathing still, but… she was completely pale. At this rate… she'd be dead within minutes.

"I can't do it…" Toya mumbled under his breath, while staring at Futaba. The golden outline around his eyes slowly began to fade, as he looked at what he did.

"Can't do it…? What do you mean?"

"I can't control it. Mephisto, it's…" He closed his eyes, clenching his fist and slamming it against his leg. "When we were in Ishida's Palace, and I gained that power… at first, I was excited. That was our way to survive. It was what I wanted… I wanted to be stronger- stronger than Ishida. Strong enough to save us… and at the time, even with the guilt and pain that came after… I didn't regret it. We would have probably died if I didn't gain that power, but…" Toya's voice began breaking apart, as his body trembled. It wasn't out of anger or insanity anymore, this time… it was sorrow, and guilt. He reached over to Yusuke's blade, looking at the tip of it… the tip that was drenched in Futaba's blood. "Something like this… is it really worth it…?" Toya held his head down and began to sob. The guilt and regret was overwhelming him…

"It is worth it, Toya." Makoto spoke in a gentle tone, as she put one hand on his shoulder while taking off her mask. "I know that you can't control that power yet, and that you think you're weak, but…" A blue flame appeared on Makoto's face as Anat was summoned. She moved her hand to Toya's face and slowly made him look forward at Futaba, as Anat placed its hand atop her head. A subtle blue mist surrounded Futaba for a moment, and then slowly, her wound started to close, as the color returned to her skin. It was a slow process, but slowly, Futaba was restored to full health. Her eyes closed as she was healed. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"...Yeah. Let's go." She somehow managed to fix everything… it was incredible. As thankful as Toya was, though… he still felt horrible. He took one last look at everyone in the room… and then, one last look at Yusuke's bloody sword. That was still because of him… and he could never forget that.


	40. Nightmare

**September 16th, 20XX (Friday)**

**? ? ? ? ?**

"_Please… help… The only one… potential… Save The… untimely demise… Unlock… secret of The… darkness… inside of you… Defy… demons who… control…"_

Toya slowly opened his eyes as he heard this calming voice that he was slowly getting used to. However, once he did, he found himself in… a familiar, yet odd place. It was that dark throne room that he had been to before… where he gained the one thing he hated most. Mephisto… that raw power he couldn't control. Makoto told him that he can't keep blaming himself for it- and that he should just focus on trying to control it. He knew she was right, but… he couldn't just _not_ blame himself. The things he did… they were inexcusable.

"Look at how far you've fallen." Suddenly, a deep, echoing voice spoke to him. Toya looked up and suddenly saw… someone who, for a brief moment, terrified him.

"F-Father…!?" Toya couldn't believe his eyes. How was his father here, in this world…? Was this just a dream? Could this possibly be _just_ a dream…?

"I put so much love into you… through your mother's death, I still prioritized your life above all else…" Toya's father began to slowly walk forward, slowly raising one of his hands up into the air. "**How DARE you disgrace our family name!?" **Suddenly, his hand came crashing down, smacking Toya right in his face. The impact of his hand was enough to knock Toya back, falling to the floor. He slowly got up onto his feet and looked back to his father, before he suddenly felt his clothes change. He was in his Metaverse attire now… but how…? "Is that it? Are you going to try and attack me again?" Toya's father suddenly suddenly melted into a black and red liquid, before transforming into a skeleton with a scythe, sitting atop a horse.

"What are you talking about!? I don't want to fight you!"

"**ENOUGH!" **Suddenly, the skeleton began charging forward. Before Toya even had a chance to defend himself, he felt the pain of a scythe ripping through his chest. To his surprise, there was no wound, or any sign that he was even hurt, but… he could feel it. He fell to his knees and held on to his chest, gasping and trying to catch his breath, his entire body aching in pain.

"So… this is the state of your heart now…" Toya heard another voice, but this one… it was even more familiar. He looked up again, and this time… he saw his own brother.

"Ken…!"

"In June, when I learned that you possessed the power to enter a world of cognition… I was terrified at first. My own brother, able to tamper with people's hearts…? It's a scary thought, but… I was hopeful. I really thought you could change the world- change society. When I died… I died a hopeful man. I willingly spent my dying moments passing on one final message to you." Ken's face slowly shifted from seeming almost happy to… nearly disappointed. "But if I knew what I know now… what you're really like on the inside… I would have asked you to change your own heart." Ken's words cut through Toya's mind like a knife. It had to be a dream, but… it felt so real… "Then again… you don't really care for what I think, do you?"

"What do you mean…? No, of course I care!"

"Don't lie to me, Toya. Your actions speak much, much louder than your words. I haven't forgotten what you did to me…" Suddenly, Ken's body began to shine, before suddenly turning to crystal… just like it did in Ishida's Palace. That's when he remembered… he vividly remembered what he did to Ken in Ishida's Palace, when he first awoke to Mephisto.

"No, that… that wasn't me…! I swear, if it wasn't for Mephisto, I-"

"Mephisto? Don't make me laugh." Suddenly, there was another voice, but… this one was different. It wasn't familiar in the way that his father's and Ken's was, but rather… it sounded like… himself. He looked up, but only saw Ken. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a hook was lodged into Ken's crystallized head. Toya turned around out of fear and shock, and saw… a shadowy figure, sitting atop the throne. He held a mask in one hand, and had a grappling hook extending out of the other. He suddenly yanked his hook back, ripping Ken's head off of his body and bringing it to him, before catching it in his own hand.

"Who… Who are you…!?"

"Who am I? I thought you were a detective. Shouldn't you know who I am by now?" The figure slowly got up, and walked towards Toya, who was now getting on his own two feet. He was even the same height as him… and his eyes were golden.

"...No. No, you're not real. You're not!" Toya yelled out, before suddenly, the figure punched him in his gut, causing him to nearly fall to his knees in pain.

"What? You can punch people in the gut constantly, but can't even take one yourself? How pathetic." Suddenly, Toya saw images in his head. All the times he gut punched the Phantom Thieves… they were replaying in his head. "That's the least of what you did though… was it not?" The figure vanished, completely disappearing from sight. What was happening…? This was more than a dream- more than even a nightmare.

"Where did you go...!?"

"I'm right here, Jester." Jester…? Toya tried to process why he was being referred to as this, but before he could, he looked up, and saw him. The figure was coming down from the sky… with a massive blade in his hands. Toya couldn't even dodge out of the way. Before he knew it, he felt the blade pierce right through his chest, feeling it rip apart his insides. His eyes widened in pain as he stood still, unable to move.

"I don't… get it…" Toya tried to speak but could barely even form words. The figure then kicked him off of the blade, forcing Toya back to the ground. The figure disappeared after that, not saying another word. All that was left was the blade that he used to stab Toya… covered in blood that was spread out on the floor. Then, Toya heard the sound of a door opening. He turned his head, and saw the door of light slowly opening up. His exit… it was in sight. He mustered every ounce of strength to get up on his feet and run, but every time he took a step, it looked like the door was getting further and further away. Or rather… it was like Toya was the one getting further away. He turned his head and saw the throne, getting closer and closer to him. He mustered up every ounce of strength to move, but it was no use. Every step he took, he only got further away. Not only that… he started to see images in his head again, only now, they weren't just images. It was like he was watching replays of everything he did in his head. Nearly killing Ishida… nearly killing Futaba… crushing Ken's head… everything. He screamed as loud as he could and tried displaying the images from his head, but it was no use. He was being pulled directly to the throne… and he couldn't stop it.

**September 17th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Early Morning - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

In a state of pure panic and fear, Toya fell out of his bed upon waking up, bumping his head on the floor. His eyes were wide open as his back was pressed against the wall, breathing heavily as cold sweat dripped down his face. That was the scariest thing he had ever experienced… but the scariest thing about it was that it felt so… real. It felt like he wasn't dreaming, but rather… that he was somewhere else. There was one place where that could be… the one truth he couldn't hide from. He slowly took out his phone and took a deep breath, before opening the Metaverse Navigator, and slowly typing in his own name.

"Match found." His first suspicion, and his biggest fear… they were true. He had his own Palace… his own cognitive world, centered around his distorted desires. Based on everything he saw… it was created when he first started to lose control of himself, around the time Mephisto was first created. But… this might be a good thing as well. If he knew he had his own Palace, then… maybe he could change his own heart? It was possible, but… only if he knew his own keywords. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and thinking of past events.

* * *

_Diabolos: I am thou, thou art I… Now, give in to your anger! Let out the devil that resides within, and unleash hell amongst all who oppose you!" _

* * *

_Toya: You bastard…_

_Ryuji: What was that!?_

_Toya: I've gone through hell and back trying to figure everything out on my own… I've ever gone through the trouble of trying my absolute hardest not to harm you during all of this._

_Toya: I don't care who you are… I don't care how many hearts you change… I don't care how many happy endings you think you cause! No true hero attacks someone based on random assumptions! That's why…"_

_Toya: The devil will be the one who judges your justice!_

* * *

_Toya: You wanna play vigilante and pretend to be heroes!? Fine! You can keep pretending to be heroes, and I…_

_Toya: I SHALL BE THE JUDGE!_

* * *

It was so obvious… this entire time, he had unconsciously been telling everyone the answer to his own Palace. He took another look at his phone, before typing in "Hell".

"Match found." He was right… that _was_ his keyword. His own Palace was… Hell, of all things. Did that mean… all this time, he subconsciously thought of himself as… the devil himself? That didn't make sense to him, but… when Mephisto took over, it made a lot more sense. However, he didn't want to keep blaming Mephisto for all of this… he wanted to take responsibility for it as well.

Regardless of that, he had figured out two of the keywords he needed to enter his Palace. However, the one he didn't have yet was a location. He tried his own house, but that didn't work, nor did it make any sense. He was absolutely clueless on what the location could be… but he was too tired to think of it right now. It was too early to be thinking this much… he'd have to just wait until later. His head would be more clear later in the day.

**September 17th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Central Street)**

Hours later, two people roamed the streets of Shibuya. Or rather, a person and a cat. These two were Haru Okumura and Morgana. After some running around in Mementos, the two were able to just barely escape the Phantom Thieves, who had been waiting for them there.

"Hmph, serves them right."

"Are you sure that was what you wanted…?"

"...Of course it was!" Slightly flustered, Morgana began running off ahead of Haru. However, before she could follow him, someone else showed up, staring directly at her.

"You made me look everywhere for you…" A well-dressed man appeared, walking up to Haru and looking down at her. "What were you doing somewhere without any reception? Out late with guys- That's it, isn't it?"

"I would never do such a thing…!"

"C'mon, let me have some fun too, will ya? Can't you do that for me?"

"Ow…!"

"Haru!" Morgana came rushing back towards her once she noticed she wasn't following, seeing the man who was now gripping Haru's wrist. "You little- Let go of Haru!" Morgana jumped on his leg, scratching and biting him until he eventually let go of Haru's arm.

"What the- Goddamn cat!" Using all of his force, he kicked Morgana off of him, sending him straight into the wall.

"Mona!" Haru quickly ran over to check on Morgana, who was sprawled out on the floor.

"Dammit… I really am… useless at this rate… Someone… Anyone… Is anybody out there…!?"

"Will you shut up, you stupid cat!?"

"Enough." Suddenly, someone was standing behind the well-dressed man, someone who hadn't been there before. He turned around, only to see someone around Haru's age- wearing a purple bandana that matched his eye color. "Get away from them."

"Sorry about the disturbance. It's just a… lover's quarrel with my fiancee."

"I don't care what you want to call it." He slowly walked forward, staring Haru's fiance in his eyes, clenching his fists tightly. "I'm telling you to back off. Don't make me repeat myself again."

"...How dare you make a fool of me." He turned towards Haru, a frustrated look on his face. "I'll be telling your father about this too." He then averted his gaze back to the young man wearing a bandana, who was still staring with an intense look in his eyes. "As for you… I'll figure out who you are." He then turned around and walked away from all of them.

"Are you alright?" He took off his bandana and slowly put it away, now looking at Haru. "Sorry for making it a scene. I didn't really know how else to get him to leave, and it seemed necessary."

"No, it's okay. Wait… I recognize your voice…"

"Of course you do. We've never formally introduced ourselves though. My name is Toya Kazero… though, if anything, you probably remember me as Hazard." He tilted his head, keeping his eyes locked onto her. "Isn't that right, Beauty Thief?"

"Get away... from Haru…!" Despite being in complete pain and unable to really move, Morgana tried to speak up and stop Toya from doing anything.

"You're still conscious…? You're a lot more resilient than I thought." Toya slowly walked over to Morgana, kneeling down and running one hand through his fur. Morgana winced in pain whenever Toya's hand rubbed over most of his body… he was pretty banged up from the kick. "That asshole really did a number on you., huh?" Morgana nodded in response, not wanting to speak anymore. Toya sighed, before gently picking Morgana up with both hands, looking towards Haru. "Come with me. I have some bandaids at home to patch him up."

"Um… are you sure…?"

"Yeah. Come on." Haru seemed unsure, but… she nodded in response, following behind Toya. While they were talking away, Toya took out his phone, opening his messenger.

TOYA: Hey, are you awake?

TOYA: Something… weird happened.

MAKOTO: Something weird?

TOYA: You remember when we went into Okumura's Palace and we found the talking cat, Morgana?

TOYA: He was with that girl, Beauty Thief.

MAKOTO: Yeah, I remember them. Why?

TOYA: I found them outside. Morgana seems really banged up, so I'm bringing him home with me to try and patch him up.

MAKOTO: Wait, you're bringing him into your home..!?

TOYA: He's… in pain. He needs help.

TOYA: I can't just ignore him.

MAKOTO: Okay…

MAKOTO: Do you mind if I come over too?

TOYA: Yeah, go ahead.

MAKOTO: I'll be there as soon as I can.


	41. Beneath the Mask

**September 17th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

After getting home, Toya started patching Morgana up. Morgana was admittedly hesitant to accept help from Toya, but… he didn't really have a choice in the matter. He was in a lot of pain right now… he needed _something_, and this was his best bet. After some time had passed, Makoto showed up there as well, quickly making her way into Toya's room, where she found him talking with Morgana, with Haru asleep on the bed behind them.

"Sorry it took me so long…" Toya and Morgana both turned their heads to meet Makoto, who was… unsure of what she saw, to say the least. "Are you really a… talking cat…?"

"I'm not a cat! I'm human!"

"No, you're definitely a cat." Toya gave Morgana a confused look, which caused Morgana to look visibly upset.

"Look, I'm a human, but I lost my original form, so I look like a cat!"

"Well, do you remember what you originally looked like?" Makoto sat down next to Toya, peeking at Morgana, who seemed even more flustered than before at her question.

"No… I have amnesia too."

"Let me get this straight. You were originally a human, but you somehow got turned into a cat, and you have amnesia, but you somehow remember that you were originally a human. Right?" Morgana didn't respond right away. When Toya worded it like that, it seemed… far fetched, at best. Before they could talk about it any more than they already did, Haru slowly began waking back up.

"I'm sorry… I fell asleep…" Haru started looking around the room. She was still a bit uneasy, being around people she's never met and only heard rumors about, but… nothing seemed to be happening. Morgana seemed to be doing better as well, so maybe… things weren't as bad as she feared?

"Sorry for asking questions as soon as you wake up, but… I have to know, what were you doing alone on the street at this hour? It can get pretty dangerous sometimes…" Toya looked towards Morgana and Haru, who seemed… unsure about how things played out.

"We were just… trying to get away from the Phantom Thieves! I mean, I'm sure you two know all about that, right?" Morgana spoke in an uneasy tone, visibly sweating a little bit while looking away from both Toya and Makoto.

"I thought you were a team?" Makoto asked, with a confused look on her face.

"I…" Morgana paused for a moment. The doubt on his face was clear… for a cat, he showed a lot of emotion. "I… don't need them! I'm doing just fine with Haru!"

"Is that so?" Toya ran his fingers through Morgana's fur, before gently pressing down on one of the bandages, causing Morgana to wince in pain and back away from him.

"O-Ow! What was that for!?"

"To prove a point." Toya sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "The Phantom Thieves are your team. I mean, Akira _literally_ carries you around throughout the day, doesn't he?" His eyes opened as he turned to Morgana, who then slowly looked away from him. "You need to go back. You belong there…" Toya looked away from Morgana and to Haru. "You think the same, don't you?"

"...I do." Haru gently picked Morgana up, bringing him over to her lap. "Do you remember what you said to me when I found you collapsed in the Metaverse? That you're a Phantom Thief. That you're going to get stronger and have the others acknowledge you." Morgana looked towards everyone in the room, before jumping away, sitting back down on the bed. "You love being there with them, don't you?"

"O-Of course not…" Everyone in the room looked towards Morgana. They all knew he wasn't telling the truth, and Morgana knew it as well. "...I-I'm not ready yet."

"Not ready yet? What do you mean?" Makoto asked, while pondering everything she was hearing. Morgana really did enjoy his time with the Phantom Thieves… that much was obvious.

"I'm… too embarrassed to go back already. I need more time!" Morgana looked away from everyone else, while they all looked towards each other awkwardly for a moment. Nobody really had a clue on what to say or do, until Toya decided to finally speak up.

"Well, fine. You can wait a day, if you really want to. But you absolutely _have_ to go back tomorrow, alright?"

"I will, I will… But there's… one problem."

"What is it?"

"I… don't have anywhere to sleep tonight."

"Wait, what? Haven't you two been staying together?" Makoto was visibly confused at this, giving Morgana and Haru a curious look.

"My father didn't allow me to keep Morgana in the house, so he's been forced to sleep outside for a few days now…"

"That's horrible…" Makoto turned her head towards Toya, showing genuine concern in her voice. "Should I bring him back with me?"

"I don't think your sister would be too thrilled about that." Toya looked towards everyone else in the room for a moment, before sighing. "Well, you can stay here tonight. I'm the only one who lives here now, so it's not like anyone is going to get in your way." Morgana was surprised by the offer. This entire time, he was under the impression that Toya was some psychopath. Yet, for some reason… Toya was being nicer to him than nearly anyone else- even offering him shelter. There was definitely something about him… something about him that made him seem… different. He wasn't normal- but was that necessarily a bad thing?

They were all a bit hesitant, but after a few minutes, everyone seemed okay with the idea. Makoto and Haru both ended up leaving not too long after, worried that their respective guardians would get annoyed if they stayed out too late. Toya laid down in his bed, ready to fall asleep, until suddenly he felt something… pressing down on him. He looked up and saw Morgana curled up into a ball, laying on top of him.

"This wasn't part of the deal."

"Well, it is now!" Morgana replied with a smart tone, feeling triumphant as he got more comfortable. However, just moments later, he suddenly felt Toya's hand on top of his head, gently patting him and scratching behind his ears. "H-Hey! This wasn't part of the deal!"

"Well, it is now." Toya chuckled under his breath, as he simply continued what he was doing. Morgana was going to continue protesting it, but after a few moments… he ended up enjoying the feeling, to his surprise. This continued on for a good while, until Morgana suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, Toya… you're kind of like a detective, right?"

"Not officially by any means, but I picked up a lot of stuff from my brother. Why do you ask?"

"Do you… think it's possible for me to actually be a human?"

"Morgana, if someone told me I could enter someone's cognition through a smartphone app about a year ago, I'd probably ask if they did drugs. At this point, I'm more than willing to believe there's a chance you're human."

"I guess…" Somehow, Toya's blunt and obvious approach was… comforting, in a really weird way. But that was a good thing, so Morgana wasn't going to complain. The two of them didn't really have anything else to say after that conversation, they just laid in bed for a while until they fell asleep, with Toya continuing to subconsciously pat Morgana.

**September 18th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya (Kazero Household)**

"I didn't think it was even possible to eat that much sushi…" Toya watched in complete shock as Morgana ate away at all of the sushi they bought. He wasn't even responding to him… it was like he was in a trance or something. Then suddenly, Toya felt his phone vibrate.

MAKOTO: Was everything okay last night?

MAKOTO: I've been worried ever since I left…

TOYA: Everything went fine.

TOYA: Morgana wanted to wait until tonight to go back, so I ended up getting sushi for him.

MAKOTO: Is it okay for him to eat that...?

TOYA: As soon as I mentioned being hungry, he practically begged for it.

TOYA: I've never even seen a human eat this much Sushi… let alone a cat, or whatever Morgana actually is.

MAKOTO: That's… interesting.

MAKOTO: Do you mind if I spend the day with you two as well?

TOYA: Of course I don't mind. Feel free.

TOYA: I wouldn't expect there to be any sushi left by the time you get here though…

MAKOTO: Is he eating _that_ much…?

TOYA: You have no idea…

After putting his phone away, he suddenly heard a knock at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone other than Makoto to come over, and there was no way she could have gotten here that fast, even if she was already on the train when she asked. He slowly got up and went to go open the door, as Morgana paid no mind to it at all.

"Haru?" Toya was more than surprised to see Haru of all people at his doorstep, but it was enough to get Morgana's attention. He let Haru in, as she sat down near Morgana. "What're you doing here?"

"Sorry to come unannounced. I would have asked if I could come over, but I never ended up getting your number. I just wanted to check if Morgana was okay." She took a look towards Morgana, who was nearly finished up with all of the sushi Toya ended up buying. "How much sushi has he had…?"

"You have no idea…" Toya sighed, looking toward the now empty bag that was on the table. "Is it even possible for a cat to eat this much? I don't even think a human could do it…"

"Maybe he's an alien?"

"At this point, I wouldn't even be surprised…" Toya sighed, before Morgana finally finished eating the sushi. He looked around the room for a moment, before suddenly seeming distressed.

"Wait, where's the rest of it!?"

"You ate all of it already."

"All of it!? That's impossible! I just started eating!"

"You've been eating for half an hour…" Toya couldn't even believe what he was hearing at this point. Morgana being an alien at this point seemed just as likely as him being a human. As he pondered that, he heard another knock on the door. He got up and answered the door, to be met with Makoto. The two walked in together, as Makoto was surprised to see that Haru was here too.

"Oh! I didn't realize there was anyone else over as well…"

"She only got here a few minutes ago. I wasn't exactly expecting her to come either…" The four of them sat down together, trying to start a conversation without being too awkward. "Oh yeah, there was something I was actually meaning to ask you, Haru."

"Oh? What is it?"

"That guy from last night… he said he's your fiance. What's up with that?" Haru suddenly looked saddened by the comment, as Morgana made his way closer to her.

"My father is… forcing me to marry him. The truth is, I have no say in the matter… He's a horrible person, but according to my father… it'd be good for the family business…"

"A horrible person, huh…?" Toya closed his eyes to think for a moment. "What's his name?"

"Oh, his name is Sugimura. Why do you ask?" Toya got up from his seat, taking out his phone and walking towards the door.

"He doesn't sound like he's necessarily corrupted enough to have a Palace of his own, but… someone like him is bound to have a Shadow, right? We can at least make stop him from being such an asshole if we find him, can't we?"

"I mean… that might be possible…" Morgana got up, looking towards Toya, who looked at everyone else in the room. They all nodded, and walked out with him, ready to enter into Mementos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I answered a question I'm sure a few of you have been thinking about when I originally posted this chapter on FFN. It's probably fair for me to answer that here as well, so:
> 
> "Morgana said the persona users don't have palaces, because having a persona means having control over your inner darkness. So, having both a persona and palace, is it because you overlooked that detail or because Mephisto isn't really his persona."
> 
> I knew I'd have to address this eventually. To answer your question: No, I did not overlook this. I'm very aware of what Morgana said. The answer to this question is actually a lot simpler than you probably think.
> 
> Long story short, Toya's Palace was created when Mephisto was introduced. When he got his Persona, he didn't have a Palace in the slightest. But when Ishida said he was the reason that not only Ken died, but also his parents... a lot of darkness and hatred was born within Toya's heart. That is when Toya's Palace was created. If you want a really simplified version of it, think of what happened to Futaba, only in the opposite order.
> 
> As for Mephisto... well, I wouldn't call Mephisto Toya's "true self." Mephisto is something entirely different. I won't say exactly what he is just yet, but I will inform you all that he is something from a previous Persona game.


	42. Trust

**September 18th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Mementos**

The four of them all entered into Mementos together, automatically changing into their metaverse attire. Their goal was simple… find and defeat Haru's fiance, Sugimura.

"So, do you two have a team name?" Haru looked toward Toya and Makoto, asking a question that the two of them never really put much thought into.

"No, we don't. We never really had a need for one…" As Makoto responded, Morgana's eyes suddenly lit up in excitement.

"I got it! Your team's name is… Killer Queen!" Morgana closed his eyes and held his paws against himself, proud of the name he came up with.

"Look, I get that a lot of people have died around me, but I still haven't actually killed anyone…" Toya's eyes panned away. He got pretty close to killing a few people, but… he never went all the way.

"Fine, fine. If you want to be so picky, then it shall be… Deadly Queen!" Morgana stood proudly once again, closing his eyes and awaiting some kind of praise.

"I like that one, Mona! It has an explosive sound to it!" Haru nodded in agreement with the name, but Toya and Makoto didn't think much of this name either.

"I think we'll just stick to not having a team name…" Makoto replied, with Toya agreeing with her. Morgana looked slightly disappointed, but he understood. Makoto walked forward and took off her mask, summoning her Persona in it's motorcycle form and mounting on top of it, with Toya getting behind her. "You two coming? We should have enough room to fit you both…" Morgana smirked, walking forward with a gleam in his eyes.

"Please. I have a much better idea." Morgana landed next to Makoto and Toya, doing… awkward poses, to say the least. It looked like something a character in an anime would do before powering up, but given Morgana's appearance… that analogy actually fit somewhat well. "Morganaaa… transfoooooorm!" Suddenly, Morgans jumped up into the air, and then… transformed into a giant van. Toya and Makoto simply stared in shock for a moment, before Toya found the words to say.

"So wait… you're a human, but also a cat, and now… a van…? Seriously, are you sure you're not an alien? Or just some… anime character that broke out of a TV and into the real world?" Toya was practically dumbfounded. He saw this van once before, when the Phantom Thieves first found him in Mementos, however… to think that that van was Morgana.

"I'm definitely human!" Morgana sounded flustered, but Makoto and Haru couldn't help but laugh a little. Haru got inside of Morgana, getting into the driver's seat. "I can sense Sugimura's Shadow somewhere on this floor. Come on!" However, instead of getting up, Makoto looked over towards Morgana and Haru with a grin.

"So… how fast can that thing go?" She asked, revving up her bike. "I bet we can get there way faster than you."

"Is that a challenge?" Toya and Haru looked at each other through the window of the van, both of them sighing in disbelief that this was actually happening.

"Alright, alright. I'll do the countdown for you two." Toya raised one hand into the air, looking towards everyone else. "Three… two… one… **GO!**" As soon as he said go, Makoto and Morgana began speeding away, rushing through Mementos as fast as they possibly could. To Toya, it felt like Makoto was going way faster than she ever did before… then again, her Persona had fully evolved since the last time they got on together, so maybe that was it. Either way, the two of them were going incredibly fast, trying to outpace each other. However, Morgana had a bit of an advantage. Thanks to the van being so much larger than the motorcycle, he was able to constantly push Makoto out of the way, taking up more space than she could fit into.

"Mwahahaha! The combined power of us is too much for the likes of you!" Morgana yelled triumphantly, as approaching the portal. It was a straight shot there, all he needed to do was maintain speed and he'd be there in no time.

"Are you sure about that?" Toya responded calmly, before suddenly wrapping one arm around Makoto's waist and making a fist with his other hand, firing out his hookshot. He aimed it for the ceiling just in front of the portal, and as soon as it landed, he and Makoto were both rapidly pulled straight towards it, soaring through the air faster than Morgana could drive, landing in front of the portal. The race was over, with Toya and Makoto emerging victorious. Moments later, Morgana and Haru stopped in front of them, with Haru stepping out of the van and Morgana reverting back to his original form.

"Hey! Who said you two could team up!?" Morgana was pretty angry, though Haru ended up laughing it off.

"What? You started bragging about teamwork, so we used some too." Makoto couldn't help but laugh while responding, standing next to Toya triumphantly, before the two of them jumped into the portal behind them, with Morgana and Haru following behind them. Once they were all inside, they saw him. The Shadow of Haru's fiance, Sugimura, was right there in front of them. The group of 4 walked up to him, as he stood still, menacing as ever.

"You… You're here, of all places?" Sugimura looked behind Haru, and noticed the other's who were with her, but had his eyes mostly set on Toya. "That boy… I knew it. You _have_ been going out behind my back!" Sugimura clenched his fists, staring intensely at Haru.

"What kind of bullshit engagement is this?" Toya walked forward, getting Sugimura's attention once more. "How are you gonna marry someone if you don't even trust her to have friends!?"

"You don't even want her to be a wife to you, do you?" Makoto stepped forward, standing next to Toya, both of them in front of Haru. "You just want her to be some plaything to you, that's all!"

"A play thing…?" Sugimura closed his eyes, and began to laugh. "Of course! Why would I wish for anything else? After all, the only reason this is happening is because her father begged me to get a good word in to my father!"

"You bastard...!" Toya's blade materialized in his hands, holding it tightly as Morgana ran up next to Toya and Makoto. Sugimura's Shadow then sunk into the floor, re-emerging as a giant robot, towering above everyone.

"So vulgar…" Haru slowly walked in front of everyone else. "For so long, I've been obediently listening to my father. I even thought he was in the right when he told me to marry you… I see how foolish I was now." As she spoke, Sugimura held his robotic hands up in the air, before attempting to slam them down on her.

"No…! Haru's Persona won't stand a chance against that thing!" Morgana tried running forward, but before he could, something completely blocked it, as the sound of metal clashing against something echoed around the room.

"Are you sure about that…?" Toya spoke in complete shock as everyone took a step back, staring at the Persona that was now standing behind Haru, blocking Sugimura's attack completely.

"How dare you…!" Sugimura slowly backed away, his robotic voice somehow sounding… nervous. Just then, Haru fell to the floor, grunting in pain as she held her head.

"_I see you finally made up your mind… my dear, fated princess. Freedom for you must stem from betrayal. If you still yearn for it now… then you must not err. Now, tell me… Who shall you betray?"_

"My heart has been set… You should know." Haru looked forward, her eyes were now golden as she stared at Sugimura's Shadow.

"_Yes, that gaze…! I can finally display my true strength. I am thou, thou art I… Let us adorn your departure into freedom with a beautiful betrayal!" _A white light flashed in the room, as suddenly, massive guns emerged from Haru's Persona, all pointed at Sugimura.

"If my father intends for me to be with this creep that I can't stand… I shall no longer be his subservient puppet!" Haru gripped her hat tightly, pointing towards Sugimura with a fierce look on her face.

"You poor thing… I'll toy with you until you break!" Sugimura's robotic claws began to spin around violently, as everyone else stood beside Haru, ready to fight alongside her. "Thieves who steal from others need to be severely punished. Haru! Be a good girl! Come be my toy!"

"I have no intentions of talking to you…! For the sake of being free from my father's will, I cannot lose!"

"So this is Haru's true power…!" Makoto was beyond surprised. Such a powerful aura was radiating from Haru… it was incredible how much more powerful she seemed now.

"Haru… All right, let's do this! Time to pummel that scummy jerk!" Morgana yelled out, as everyone got ready to fight.

"Rush him, Milady!" A blast of psychokinetic energy was sent out from Haru's Persona, bringing Sugimura down to his knees.

"Time for some bloodshed!" Morgana yelled out, as everyone rushed towards Sugimura at once, barraging him with attacks. However, it wasn't anywhere near enough. Within moments, Sugimura got up, and knocked everyone off of him, sending the group back.

"I won't be defeated by petty Thieves!" Sugimura stood in front of them all menacingly, seeming almost undented.

"We're gonna need a lot more firepower to take this thing down…!" Toya eyed the giant robot. They couldn't break it with simple attacks like that… it was way too bulky for that. They had to do way more damage for that to be possible.

"I have a plan!" Haru yelled out to everyone, as they turned their heads towards her. "Toya, I need to to distract him while the rest of us get ready!"

"Distract him…?" Toya looked towards Haru, who nodded in response, with a determined look in her eyes. "You got it." Toya turned back towards Sugimura, before he aimed his gunblade towards him, shooting around his eyes and firing his hookshot at the wall behind him, flying through the air. He stayed just out of Sugimura's reach and continued firing away at him, and while it didn't seem to do much damage, it was more than enough to keep his attention. After about a minute of distracting, Toya suddenly heard the sound of a van. He looked towards everyone else, only to see that Morgana transformed into a car, with Makoto in the driver's seat and Haru standing on top of it, holding a… grenade launcher, of all things. Makoto began driving forward, before Toya got the hint and used his hookshot to get away, with Makoto jumping out of the van as well. Haru aimed toward the giant robot, before firing straight at Sugimura, then jumping off of the van. The massive explosives made direct contact, blasting both him and Morgana away. It was more than enough to finish him off, causing him to revert back to his original form, falling down to his ground. Following him, Morgana fell from the sky, eyes wide open as he laid still, sprawled out on the floor.

"Owwww…" To everyone's surprise, Morgana hadn't lost consciousness. Toya walked over to him, picking him up in his arms and holding him, before he and the girls both looked towards Sugimura's Shadow, who was now on his knees and on the floor.

"How could I be defeated… by such inferior brats…!?" Sugimura tried picking himself up, but he couldn't muster up the strength. Haru walked forward, looking down at him menacingly. There was so much she wanted to say… and deep down, there was so much pent up anger. She put up with listening to her father for so long. It took incredible amounts of self control to resist the urge to take her axe to Sugimura's head… but then, she felt two hands on her shoulders. She looked back, seeing both Toya and Makoto looking toward her, with understanding eyes. Everyone turned towards Sugimura, who was looking away in shame. Without saying another word, he shined in a bright, white light, and then disappeared, returning to his real self.

"Is that it…? Did we… change his heart…?" Haru looked toward the rest, who nodded in response. They started walking back, before hearing Morgana grunt in pain.

"Bad idea… pain…"

"Oh please… it's not _that_ bad. You're gonna be perfectly fine." Toya kept carrying Morgana, gently patting his head as he walked along with both Haru and Makoto, jumping into the portal and emerging back onto the main floor of Mementos. "Let's get out of here." Toya stopped for a moment, suddenly smirking and turning his head toward Makoto. "Race you there!" He quickly fired his hookshot to the ceiling, soaring through the room, before she even had a chance to respond.

"What!? Hey, no fair!" She quickly took off her mask, summoning her Persona and getting on top of it, with Haru getting on right behind her. She started speeding towards Toya's direction.

**September 18th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

As he walked in, Toya instantly got reminded of the pleasant atmosphere Leblanc had. Something about it was so… calming. With one bag in his hands and another over his shoulder, he made his way in with Makoto and Haru right behind him, slowly finding a seat.

"I haven't seen you around here in awhile." Sojiro looked towards Toya. He was surprised to see him walk in with 2 different girls, but… that wasn't his business. "What's with that bag? Wait… that smell… is that sushi?" As soon as he said the word sushi, he suddenly heard meowing coming from the bag on Toya's back. Toya sighed, putting the white bag on a table and taking a seat, as he took the other bag off.

"You just had to say sushi, didn't you? I wanted to keep it a surprise from him, but… so much for that." He opened the bag as Makoto and Haru took a seat across from him, with Morgana instantly jumping out onto the table, scratching at the bag filled with sushi before Toya took it out for him.

"Morgana…!? You found him!?"

"We found him last night, but we didn't really know where to bring him at first. We only just remember that Akira always carried him around at school…" Makoto tried not to make eye contact with Sojiro. She was lying, but… it's not like she could explain the truth to him. This was easier for everyone involved.

"He was staying with me originally. I thought he was just a stray, until Toya and Makoto told me they recognized him… I'm sorry for not bringing him sooner."

"No, it's fine! I'm just happy you found him! Hold on, let me get Akiar down here!" Sojiro started walking toward the staircase. Toya was hoping that nobody else was here, but… at least it was only one person. Granted, it was their leader, so that wasn't exactly what he was hoping for, but… it was better than everyone being there. Sure enough, after a few moments, Sojiro came back downstairs with Akira following behind him. At first, he simply glared at Toya. He had heard what he did to Ryuji, Yusuke, and especially Futaba… how brutal he was with the three of them. He had no intention of speaking to him on friendly terms again, but… here Toya was, in his home with both Morgana _and_ Haru. He wasn't surprised to see Makoto there with him, due to the fact that they were in the metaverse together, but… seeing Morgana and Haru as well surprised him.

"Long time no see." Toya spoke in a soft tone, looking back at Akira. Makoto and Haru didn't have much to say… the tension was so tense, even Sojiro could feel it, even though he had no idea what the circumstances were between the two of them. Clearly, there was something going on, but… he had no idea what it could have possibly been. He remembered asking Ken to try and get Toya to talk to Akira, but… it seemed like that didn't go the way he hoped it would. "You want sushi?"

"No, that's not what I want." His glare only got more intense. Toya sighed, expecting a response like this. "Where'd you find Morgana?"

"On the street. He was in pretty bad shape." Toya's tone of voice stayed just as soft as he looked back towards Akira. "I took care of him as best as I could, so he's mostly fine now." On the other side of the table, Makoto felt… saddened, to say the least. She knew Toya for months at this point, but this is the first time she heard Toya speak with such remorse in his voice. She knew exactly why he sounded like this, but it still hurt to hear. And on top of that, it didn't sound like Akira had any intention of forgiving him. Then again, she couldn't blame him for that. If she was in his position, she wouldn't want to forgive Toya for what he did either. Toya slowly got up out of his seat, still looking towards Akira. "Let's finish this conversation upstairs. There's something we need to discuss." Akira didn't really want to talk to Toya for longer than he had to, but he did bring Morgana back.

"Sure. Let's go." Akira slowly went back upstairs, as Toya went to follow him. As he was walking, he felt someone grab onto his arm. He looked over and saw both Makoto and Haru staring at him, with concerned looks on their faces.

"Don't worry, you two. I'll be fine." He looked back to Morgana, who was only paying a little bit of attention, still mostly focused on the sushi. "The sushi is gonna be gone in just a few minutes at the rate he's going. If any of you want some, you're gonna need to get to it quick." He slightly chuckled underneath his breath while looking at Morgana, before going back towards the staircase, making his way up to Akira's room. "I take it Futaba's made a full recovery by this point?"

"What's it to you?"

"I figured you'd respond with something like that." Toya wasn't even mad at the response, he was expecting to hear something like that from him at this point. "For what it's worth… I am sorry. I'm sure that doesn't mean much to you at this point though, does it?"

"How could it?"

"Well, that's fine. I'm not really expecting forgiveness." Toya panned his eyes away for a moment, before turning back towards him. "I'm gonna let you handle Okumura's Palace. I don't think I should go back in there anymore."

"What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"I wouldn't call it that. It's more so just me... realizing something about myself. Oh, but speaking of a change of heart…" Toya turned away from Akira, facing the staircase. "It's Hell."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's my keyword." Akira's eyes widened in shock. "Don't pretend like you're unaware that I have one."

"That's not it. I'm just surprised you're telling me, of all people. Do you suddenly trust me?"

"Trust you? No, that's not it. I just know how you work."

"You know how I work? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I know you're not gonna kill me. You're not like that. I wouldn't care if you changed my heart, but… I doubt you're gonna be able to."

"Why's that? Just because you won a fight doesn't mean your Shadow will win as well."

"I know it doesn't, but that's not the point. The point is that you still can't enter my Palace without my location. Even I don't know what my location could be… I doubt you're gonna be able to figure it out either. If you somehow do, then feel free to go in and do whatever you think is right." Toya started walking towards the stairs, but before he went, he turned his head one more time. "Oh, there's one more thing I meant to say."

"What is it?"

"That girl down their, Haru. she doesn't know that I'm aware yet, but… she's Okumura's daughter. You've figured that out by now, right?"

"Yeah. We figured that out days ago."

"Try to see if she's willing to go with you into Okumura's Palace then. Chances are you're gonna need her help to get through." Toya stopped for a moment. There was a lot more that he wanted to say, but… now wasn't the time for it. It's not like anything he could say to Akira would change things. "Well, good luck." Without saying another word, Toya walked downstairs, not giving Akira another chance to respond to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 6  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 4  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 3  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 7  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 4  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	43. Doubt

**September 18th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

AKIRA: Good news.

AKIRA: Morgana is back.

RYUJI: For real!?

FUTABA: Is he at Leblanc?

FUTABA: I wanna see him! I'm coming over!

AKIRA: I wouldn't do that if I were you, Futaba.

AKIRA: There's something else.

YUSUKE: Is there bad news too?

YUSUKE: Is he hurt?

AKIRA: No. Well, apparently he was.

AKIRA: But the guy who brought him over apparently patched him up.

AKIRA: The bad news is who brought him in.

ANN: Don't tell me…

AKIRA: Toya is the one who brought him.

FUTABA: No way! Not going!

FUTABA: Staying right here!

RYUJI: Damn it! What the hell!?

RYUJI: I'm only a few minutes away, I'm coming over!

YUSUKE: I was already with Ryuji, so I'll be going as well.

ANN: Wait, what were you two doing together at this hour?

RYUJI: Uhhh…

RYUJI: Nothing!

FUTABA: GASP!

FUTABA: Ryuji and Inari… together alone… on a Sunday night!?

FUTABA: I knew something was going on between you two!

RYUJI: Not the time, Futaba!

YUSUKE: I'm devastated that you think so little of my taste that I'd be romantically interested in Ryuji.

RYUJI: Yeah, exactly!

RYUJI: ...Wait, what?

ANN: Can you guys just hurry up and go!?

ANN: At this rate, it'd be faster if I just caught a train and went over myself!

RYUJI: Okay! Sheesh! We're going!

After a few minutes passed, Ryuji and Yusuke walked in to Leblanc, only to see Toya, Makoto, Haru, and Morgana all sitting together at a table. Akira was in the room, standing by the staircase, but Sojiro wasn't there. Ryuji walked over to Toya, grabbing him by his shirt and staring him right in his eyes.

"What the hell is the big idea, asshole!?"

"Ryuji, what are you talking about?"

"Stop playing stupid with me! Why the hell did you have Morgana!?"

"I found Morgana on the street after some asshole kicked the hell out of him. You should be thanking me for patching him up, not acting like you want to murder me." Ryuji's eyes sparked with anger, as he clenched his free hand into a fist.

"Why the hell should we be thanking you!? It's your fault that Morgana left in the first place!" He yelled at Toya, but instead of being intimidated, Toya simply shrugged it off and pushed him away, loosening Ryuji's grip on him. He slowly got out of his seat and stared at him.

"My fault? All I ever did before Morgana left was tell all of you to leave me alone. I didn't want to fight you, or even interact with you. How is it my fault that he got out?" Toya took a deep breath while closing his eyes, before suddenly glaring at Ryuji. "Look at how you act. I wouldn't be surprised if the only reason Morgana left is because of **you.** But instead of owning up to your flaws and trying to improve upon them, you're taking your anger out on the first person you see that you can even slightly put the blame on." Feeling his mind snap for even a brief moment, Ryuji grit his teeth before reeling his fist back, and going in to punch Toya. Toya saw the punch coming, but… he didn't even try preventing it in any way. He felt the full force of Ryuji's fist against his face, pushing him back into the seat, nearly colliding with Morgana.

"Hey, stop that!" Makoto quickly got out of her seat and stared directly at Ryuji after he hit Toya. However, before either of them could say anything else, Sojiro came out of the bathroom, looking towards the table they were all seated at.

"What the hell are you all doing!?" Sojiro yelled at them, a clear anger and annoyance in his voice.

"Sorry for the inconvenience." Toya slowly pulled himself up out of the seat, glaring at Ryuji for a moment before turning back to Sojiro. "We were just messing around a little bit. Though, it got a bit more extreme than we anticipated. Sorry about that." Toya started walking towards the door, signaling Makoto to come with him. "Anyways, we were just leaving. Let's go, Makoto." She nodded, slowly following him out while giving Ryuji the same angry glare. Sojiro looked at everyone in the room for a moment, angrily sighing.

"I'm closing for the night. Get out of here." Ryuji looked down and nodded, walking away with Yusuke following close behind him.

"Um…" Haru slowly got out of her seat, walking towards Akira. "Can we… talk at school tomorrow?" He nodded in response, as Haru walked out of the cafe. Morgana slowly made his way towards Akira, as the two went upstairs.

AKIRA: That went about as expected.

RYUJI: That asshole!

ANN: What did he do now!?

YUSUKE: Nothing at all.

ANN: ...Huh?

YUSUKE: Ryuji instantly got up in his face and accused him of doing something to Morgana.

YUSUKE: He even punched him.

FUTABA: Dammit, Ryuji!

RYUJI: What!?

RYUJI: He clearly provoked me!

AKIRA: It's not like anything he said wasn't true…

AKIRA: That's not important anymore though. There's something else we need to discuss.

AKIRA: It's about Okumura.

ANN: Wait, which one?

AKIRA: Both.

AKIRA: Haru came with Toya to Leblanc.

FUTABA: Are they working together!?

YUSUKE: No, I don't think so.

YUSUKE: They left separately.

YUSUKE: I assume she was only with Toya because of Morgana…

AKIRA: She didn't seem to mind sitting with him or Niijima, either.

ANN: Niijima was there too…?

FUTABA: That… makes Toya telling the truth a bit more believable…

RYUJI: No way! There's no way he's not up to something!

AKIRA: Anyways.

AKIRA: Haru wants to talk to me tomorrow. Probably about her father's Palace.

AKIRA: Which brings me to my next point.

AKIRA: Toya told me he's not going back there anymore.

ANN: So we have to do it…?

FUTABA: I think we have to.

FUTABA: Besides, do you remember how hard it was to get data on Okumura from that prosecutor's laptop!?

FUTABA: I won't let that effort go to waste!

YUSUKE: Will Haru be joining us?

AKIRA: We'll figure that out tomorrow.

AKIRA: ...There's something else.

AKIRA: Toya told me one other thing while he was here, before Ryuji and Yusuke showed up.

RYUJI: What'd he say?

AKIRA: He told me his Palace's keyword:

RYUJI: For real!?

ANN: He knows he has a Palace…!?

ANN: How'd he figure that out!?

YUSUKE: Perhaps he did self reflection after our encounter…

YUSUKE: What's his keyword?

AKIRA: It's… Hell.

FUTABA: Wait, seriously!?

FUTABA: His state of mind is… a cognitive Hell…!?

FUTABA: Wait, does he think he's the devil or something!?

AKIRA: Kamoshida and Madarame were both people who had prestigious titles.

AKIRA: But… does being the devil really sound prestigious to him…?

AKIRA: Something doesn't add up about him.

Akira put his phone down for a minute. Something about Toya… it felt different. It's like he was a different person, but… at the same time, he didn't go through a change of heart… even though he had a Palace. Whatever the situation truly was… he couldn't come up with an answer right now. He'd have to figure out what was going on in his head later on. For now… there was no point in still thinking about it.

AKIRA: By the way, Ryuji and Yusuke…

AKIRA: Why did both of you have wet hair?

YUSUKE: Oh dear.

RYUJI: Huh!?

RYUJI: Uhh… what're you talking about!? We didn't have wet hair!

ANN: Yusuke definitely gave you up by saying "Oh dear" like that.

RYUJI: Dammit, Yusuke!

RYUJI: We're just doing… guy stuff! Nothing weird!

FUTABA: Wait, weren't you two only 5 minutes away?

FUTABA: Isn't the bathhouse just about that far!?

RYUJI: What!? No! No way!

YUSUKE: It's true that we were at the bathhouse together.

RYUJI: DUDE!

RYUJI: What the hell, man!?

FUTABA: I KNEW IT!

FUTABA: Ryuji and Inari, sitting in a tree…

FUTABA: K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

RYUJI: Ok, you know what!?

RYUJI: I'm going to bed, screw this!

FUTABA: Just make sure you're the only one in it tonight!

RYUJI: AGDJSBDJSN

AKIRA: I think you broke him.

ANN: Is he gonna be okay…?

RYUJI: GOODNIGHT!

ANN: Yep, he'll be totally fine.

**September 18th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Midnight - Graveyard**

After a long day and a punch to the face… Toya was physically exhausted. However, his mind was wide awake, and feeling completely tormented. He found himself in a vast graveyard, once again. He made his way to the only grave he recognized, it was one isolated from all the rest, even though there was space for another right next to it. He kneeled down in front of it, placing his hand on the tombstone.

"It feels like it's been forever since I've been here… even though it's been only a couple weeks. Time really flies, doesn't it?" Toya sighed, looking down for a moment. "I tried doing something good today. I tried… being nice to the Phantom Thieves, even though I'm sure they hate me, and always will. I returned their cat to them, and their cat is… well, he's special, to say the very least. I wasn't expecting much, maybe a thank you at best, but…" Toya rubbed his hand over his cheek, the spot where Ryuji punched him, slightly wincing in pain. "Well, I was hoping they wouldn't decide to straight up _hit_ me. I guess that was asking for a bit much, though." Toya stretched for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I learned… something about myself recently. Something I think I knew for a while, but… I was always too afraid to admit it. The truth is…" Toya looked away for a moment, taking a few steps back before speaking up again. "I'm… evil. It sounds weird when I just say it outright, but… it's true. Deep down, somewhere in my cognition… there's a part of me that's just… evil. I know why, and I know how to fix it, but… I'm actually scared to do it. What would fixing it actually do to me? How different of a person would I be as a result of it? Would I even be… me, anymore?" Toya stopped talking for a moment, looking down to the floor with teary eyes. "I guess it doesn't matter though. I can't even do it… not yet, at least. There's something I have to figure out, but… I can't do that on my own. You probably could, if you were still here, but…" Toya slammed his fist against the ground, with tears streaming down his cheeks. "I need you, Ken… I can't do all of this without you. I've tried, I really have… and I've screwed everything up…" Toya kept looking down, trying to form any kind of words, but… he couldn't. There was nothing left for him to say, or even do. Realizing and accepting, he turned away, feeling too ashamed to even face his brother's grave. While he was walking away… in the sky, there was a star that began shining brightly, but Toya didn't even see it. He was caught up in his own self despair… and there was nothing he could do about it. Not unless he found his Palace's location. That was his goal now… his one goal in life at this very moment was to find his own Palace, and change his own heart.


	44. On Edge

**October 2nd, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero Household**

HARU: Do you happen to be available to talk?

TOYA: Yeah, what's up?

HARU: You've sent calling cards and changed people's hearts before, correct?

TOYA: Twice, why?

TOYA: Wait, did your father already receive a calling card?

HARU: Yes. We're all going in to take his treasure today.

HARU: But… I'm having second thoughts.

TOYA: Second thoughts? How so?

HARU: What if something were to happen to him? Something… worse…?

TOYA: ...You mean a mental shutdown, right?

HARU: The very thought of that happening to my father terrifies me…

HARU: You've heard how extreme the cases are, haven't you?

TOYA: …

TOYA: Haru, look.

TOYA: Apart from whoever is causing them... I probably have more experience with mental shutdowns than anyone else.

HARU: You do…?

TOYA: Remember how I said nobody else lives with me?

TOYA: That's because… both my brother and father are dead. They both died of a mental shutdown.

HARU: Both of them…!?

HARU: I had no idea…

TOYA: No, it's fine.

TOYA: But, the one thing I've learned is…

TOYA: You can't accidentally cause a mental shutdown. You have to go out of your way and actually try to kill someone for it to happen.

TOYA: And while I'm not exactly friends with any of the Phantom Thieves… I wouldn't call any of them murderers, by any means.

HARU: So… you think my father will be okay…?

TOYA: Absolutely. I can't see a world where the Phantom Thieves attempt to harm him.

TOYA: Besides…

TOYA: Do you think Morgana would allow that to happen?

HARU: You're right…

HARU: You did a great job calming me down. Thank you!

TOYA: It's no problem. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?

HARU: No, I just needed some reassurance.

HARU: We're going in to his Palace in just a few minutes, so I have to go now.

HARU: I don't think they'd be fond of me talking to you…

TOYA: Definitely not.

TOYA: Good luck with taking the treasure.

HARU: Thanks again!

The Phantom Thieves were already gonna take down Okumura… this was going much faster than Toya expected. Then again, it's a big team, much bigger than anything he ever had. It made sense that they were able to cover ground faster. Though, he wasn't going to complain about working with just Makoto. Ever since the Phantom Thieves committed to going through Okumura's Palace, the two of them started running through Mementos together. They changed the hearts of people that were bad- but not enough to be corrupted. Admittedly, it wasn't as satisfying as going through a Palace, but it was still important. On top of that, it was good training for the two of them, so if the time ever came, they'd be ready to take on another Palace. As he was thinking about it, he suddenly felt a vibration in his pocket.

SAE: The CEO of Okumura Foods, Kunikazu Okumura, just received a calling card from the Phantom Thieves.

SAE: Normally I'd ask for Akechi to come in, but he's apparently pre-occupied, so I need you to come in instead.

TOYA: Sorry, I'm not going.

SAE: What!? Why not!?

TOYA: I'm busy.

SAE: What the hell could be so important that it takes priority over something like this!?

TOYA: I have a life, Sae. An actual life.

TOYA: Things I like doing. People I enjoy talking to.

TOYA: I'm not even an official detective. It's not my job- I don't even get paid for it!

TOYA: So please. Don't get all offended when I prioritize a date over that.

SAE: A date…!? When did you get a girlfriend!?

TOYA: Oh, you didn't know? Interesting.

TOYA: Well, she's here. Gotta run.

SAE: Toya, wait!

He didn't bother to respond. Makoto wasn't actually there yet, but it was still a good excuse to use. Toya wasn't aware that she never told her sister about their relationship, but… that didn't really matter. If she didn't want to do it, then that was probably for a specific reason. Whatever that reason may be… that much didn't actually matter. He had no problem keeping it a secret from Sae for now, either. A few minutes after he put his phone away, he heard a knock on his door. He walked outside and greeted Makoto, before the two of them went on their way to do whatever sounded nice for the day.

**October 2nd, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Okumura's Palace - Weapon Maintenance**

After a long, drawn out battle with more than a dozen robots, the Phantom Thieves successfully took down Okumura.

"In the end, I am just one more in the lineage of failures…" Okumura slowly looked towards Haru. "I will contact your fiance and rescind the marriage offer. This may be the end for Okumura Foods… Forgive me, Haru…"

"Father…"

"You were behind all the breakdowns and mental shutdowns, weren't you?"

"I admit, I spent sums of money to help my business grow, and to crush business competitors…"

"Answer me, dammit! Did you do it or not!?"

"N-Not personally! I had a contact! All I did was make the requests to have them eliminated!"

"Requests…!? Then there really is a mysterious criminal in people's Palaces after all!"

"What kind of contract did you form… and with whom?"

"C'mon, stop cryin' and tell us!" As Ryuji yelled at him, there was suddenly a loud vibration that shook the entire room.

"Dammit, why now…!? Mr. CEO, can't you stop that thing!? Oh well… we can't just throw our lives away like this. Look! Up there!" Descending down from the sky, Okumura's Treasure came right into the hands of Morgana. They wanted to know more about who was causing mental shutdowns, since Morgana and Haru were convinced that it wasn't Toya, but… there was no time. The Phantom Thieves turned around and started to run away, all of them except for two: those being Ryuji and Akira.

"Can't you tell us _anything_ about this guy!?" Ryuji yelled at Okumura, trying to get any form of an answer out of him. However, the entire Palace was shaking, and Okumura wasn't giving any answers.

"Skull, we can't stay here!"

"Damn it… damn it! Let's get out of here, Joker!" Akira and Ryuji started to run towards the rest of their team, desperately trying to get away from the Palace coming down. However, while they were running away… someone else was staying put, exactly where they were. From the shadows, someone shot a bullet straight into Omumura's head, only moments after Akira and Ryuji left.

**October 11th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

About one week after the Phantom Thieves took Okumura's Treasure, he had called for a press conference, claiming it was urgent. There's no way it could possibly be coincidental… it had to be due to the Phantom Thieves. At least, that's what Toya thought. He waited around outside of him home, staring at the massive screen outside until the press conference finally began.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to gather here. Today, I'd like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company's labor situation. How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how... lax we were with sanitation… and how my corporation acted as a whole to… cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this, I wholeheartedly apologize." Okumura took a bow, as various pictures of him were taken, until a journalist asked him a question.

"So are you saying all of this was done under your orders?"

"...Yes. I… am solely responsible…"

"We heard that dozens of your employees were forced to resign due to a mysterious illness. Furthermore, these happened to be officials who stood against your proposal for overseas expansion. The same thing also happened to executives at competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?"

"Yes."

"Was it all coincidence?" There was a pause. Okumura looked away from the journalists out of shame, but they continued pressuring him. "We'd like some answers."

"About that… I have a critical piece of information to announce here today. I…" Suddenly, Okumura held onto his chest, and started grunting in pain. Upon seeing this, Toya started taking steps back. He recognized this… he recognized exactly what was happening to Okumura. The same thing happened to both his father _and_ his brother. When Okumura faced the camera again, his eyes were completely rolled up, and there was black blood oozing out all over him. It was horrific… but the true horror of the situation didn't register for Toya right away. It took a few minutes for him to realize that… this was Haru's father. But… how was that possible? The Phantom Thieves wouldn't do something like this- would they? No… that made no sense. He considered what could have possibly happened, until he felt multiple vibrations from his phone.

MAKOTO: Did- did you see the news…!?

TOYA: I did…

TOYA: Are you okay?

MAKOTO: I'm just shaken up a bit…

MAKOTO: What about you? I know about your history with this…

TOYA: The initial fear has mostly passed, but…

TOYA: I'm scared for Haru… That's her father that just died…

MAKOTO: Oh my god…

MAKOTO: I'm gonna contact her right away.

TOYA: Please do. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?

MAKOTO: Yeah. See you soon.

SAE: You've seen the news, haven't you?

TOYA: Yeah. Why?

SAE: I need to see you tomorrow.

SAE: We need to do a thorough investigation of Okumura's house.

TOYA: Jesus Christ, Sae!

TOYA: He has a daughter who's probably going through hell right now! Do you really want to barge into her home right now!?

SAE: I don't care about his daughter! This is far more important than that!

TOYA: God damn it…

TOYA: Fine. Pick me up after school tomorrow.

SAE: Good.

**October 12th, 20Xx (Wednesday)**

**Early Morning - Niijima Household**

HARU: My apologies for messaging you so early in the morning.

HARU: Before things get too hectic at home… there's something I need to tell you.

MAKOTO: No, it's fine!

MAKOTO: Please, say whatever you have to say.

HARU: Do you mind if I tell both you and Toya in person after school today…?

MAKOTO: Toya is going to be busy today. My sister is making him do something…

HARU: Okay…

HARU: Can you tell him what I'm about to say if you see him later today?

MAKOTO: Yes, of course.

HARU: I think…

HARU: No, I'm sure that… the Phantom Thieves are the ones who killed my father.

MAKOTO: What…!?

MAKOTO: I thought you were working with them!?

HARU: I was. We took my father's Treasure together, but…

HARU: After that, most of us ran away since the Palace began to collapse.

HARU: But… Akira and Ryuji both stayed behind for a bit longer.

HARU: My father was fine when we all left him, but…

HARU: I didn't see him again after those two left. That… can't be a coincidence, can it…?

MAKOTO: I don't think so…

MAKOTO: I'll tell Toya later today.

HARU: Thank you.

**October 12th, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**After School - Okumura Household**

Although he was there because he was supposed to look for evidence, truth be told... there wasn't much Toya could do on that front. He wasn't concerned about that anywhere near as much as he was concerned about Haru's well being. He quickly made his way over to her as soon as they walked in.

"Oh, Toya…? I didn't realize you were coming here…"

"Sorry for just barging in. I didn't want an investigation to happen so soon, but…" Toya slightly turned his head, glaring at Sae, who looked back at him with a cold stare. "Well, let's just say some people are a bit less concerned with that kind of stuff." Sae scoffed, turning away from him. "So… about what you told Makoto earlier…"

"Makoto?" Sae walked over to the two of them. "What's Makoto have to do with you two?"

"It's not your business, Sae." Toya gave Sae the same cold stare he gave earlier, but his tone of voice was much more menacing than before. However, Sae wouldn't be intimidated that easily.

"You're here to work on a case, Toya."

"Yeah, so are you. I have my own investigation going on- one that's just as important as this."

"And what might that be?"

"It's our business. Can you just focus on this one while I verify what I heard this morning?" Toya and Sae continued staring at each other. As angry as Sae was… she didn't want to lose her temper. She couldn't go off on Toya… it would go against a promise she made months ago.

"I expect your undivided attention at the police station."

"Fine. Just let me focus on this now." Sae slowly turned around and walked away, leaving Toya and Haru alone. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment."

"She's rather intense…"

"She is. I guess I'm not really one to talk though…" Toya slowly picked his head up and turned back to Haru. "Anyways… are you absolutely positive of what you told Makoto this morning?"

"Yes, I am. There's no doubt in my mind." Haru's gaze… it didn't look like she was uncertain. She was positive of what she saw… even though it went against everything that Toya knew about the Phantom Thieves.

"But why would they make a sudden shift…? There has to be a reason for this…" The conversation between the two continued, until Toya was forced to go to the police station with Sae.

**October 12th, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**After School - Police Station**

"This is all we found." Sae took out a calling card, placing it on the table in front of both Toya and Akechi. "Do either of you doubt that this is the work of the Phantom Thieves?"

"No, not at all." Toya was the first to speak up. His tone was much more serious than usual, and there was a trace of disappointment, one that Sae and Akechi both noticed. "I don't want to suddenly switch gears and say that they're murderers… however, I can't dismiss the evidence."

"I'm surprised you're so quick to turn against them." Akechi looked towards Toya, with a look of surprise on his face. "You seemed so confident that they were innocent before now. Why the sudden change?"

"We had no reason to assume it was the Phantom Thieves. After all, they've made their targets publicly known with the use of a calling card. This time, they did just that. And just over a week later, he suffered a mental shutdown. We can just call that a coincidence." Toya didn't have the patience for anything… he was still trying to wrap his head around why the Phantom Thieves would kill Okumura.

"Couldn't it just be an imitation? I mean, you were the one who suggested the idea that there's another person or group capable of causing mental shutdowns, weren't you?"

"Yeah, Akechi, I was. Because in every one of those situations, there wasn't any evidence that pointed towards the Phantom Thieves! But now there is, and _now_ you want to say it might not be them? Unless the other entity capable of mental shutdowns heard what I said, then there's no reason to assume they smartened up and sent a fake calling card. So, unless one of you two wanna confess to being actual criminals…" Toya gave an impatient glare at Akechi. "Then what you're saying is a complete waste of my time, Akechi." This anger and confidence that he was right… it was mostly faked. In the back of his head, something was starting to click in Toya's head, something about Akechi. There was a very real chance that he was the one who killed Okumura, but… until he could prove that, he couldn't afford to tell anyone. He could tell Makoto if he needed to, but… nobody else. Toya turned away from them, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sae spoke to him, but Toya didn't get even turn to face her as he spoke.

"I've said everything I have to say. Like I said earlier, I'm investigating a different case on my own, and that takes up more of my attention than this."

"You should be telling me about this investigation! As your superior, I-"

"You're not my superior if this isn't my job, Sae. As far as I'm concerned… you're just another adult who doesn't care about the people below you. Maybe _you _need a change of heart." Sae and Akechi were both shocked at that last sentence. However, saying something like that… it gave Akechi an idea. He didn't tell anyone yet, but he has evidence of who the Phantom Thieves are… he got pictures and videos of them returning from the real world after Okumura's change of heart, after he killed him. He also knew that Sae had a Palace, so… perhaps with this knowledge, he could catch the Phantom Thieves _and_ change Sae's heart at the same time.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 6  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 5  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 5  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 8  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 6  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	45. Uneasy Alliance

**October 20th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

MAKOTO: Hey, are you awake…?

MAKOTO: My sister just told me something that I thought you'd want to know…

TOYA: What's up?

MAKOTO: She told me she's been entrusted with an important task regarding the Phantom Thieves.

TOYA: An important task…?

TOYA: Wait, does that mean what I think it means?

MAKOTO: The SIU must surely be on the move at this point, and they're after the Phantom Thieves.

TOYA: Even though we took down Ishida…

MAKOTO: That's not necessarily a bad thing though, is it?

MAKOTO: I mean, if they killed Okumura… isn't it a good thing this is happening?

TOYA: About that…

TOYA: Okay, whatever happens, you cannot tell Haru what I'm about to tell you.

TOYA: I don't think she's ready to hear this…

MAKOTO: Did you find something?

TOYA: No, but I have a hunch…

TOYA: I don't think the Phantom Thieves killed Okumura. I think it was someone else. Someone who also has access to the Metaverse.

MAKOTO: Someone who also has access to the Metaverse…?

MAKOTO: Wait, do you mean…!?

TOYA: Yes. I think Goro Akechi is responsible.

TOYA: I was skeptical ever since you told me what Haru told you. I know the Phantom Thieves are vigilantes and all, but… they haven't killed up to this point. Why would they suddenly change that… and why would they target someone related to their newest teammate?

TOYA: The reasoning never made sense… but then, when I was at the police station, something weird happened…

MAKOTO: What was it?

TOYA: For the very first time, Goro Akechi was actually defending the Phantom Thieves, and claiming they were innocent.

TOYA: Every other time I've spoken to him, his opinion about the Phantom Thieves has been rartrather negative. He was always quick to push the blame on them.

TOYA: But this time… he was doing the exact opposite, and this was when we had more evidence than ever that the Phantom Thieves were responsible.

TOYA: Nobody changes their opinion on something so quickly and so randomly… unless they're lying, and hiding something.

MAKOTO: And since we know Akechi can enter the Metaverse, and we know that someone else was causing mental shutdowns before the Phantom Thieves came together…

MAKOTO: Then he's an even more likely suspect than the Phantom Thieves!

TOYA: Exactly.

MAKOTO: But wait… does that mean the Phantom Thieves were set up? Was he trying to make it look like the Phantom Thieves are responsible for killing Okumura?

TOYA: I think so. But this still leaves just one question…

MAKOTO: Which is?

TOYA: Well, he must have some kind of a reasoning for suddenly saying that he sides with the Phantom Thieves.

TOYA: After all, now is the best time to be against them, since they're seen as murderers by most of Japan. So the fact that he's defending them…

TOYA: I think he's trying to get on their good side.

TOYA: I don't know why though…

MAKOTO: Is he gonna try talking to them directly…?

TOYA: That would only work if he knows who they are.

TOYA: But if he's the one who killed Okumura… I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility that he also knows who the Phantom Thieves really are.

MAKOTO: What should we do?

MAKOTO: If the Phantom Thieves are innocent, and if Akechi knows who they are…?

TOYA: I wouldn't feel right if we did nothing to help them. We can't just leave them out in the cold.

MAKOTO: I feel the same way.

MAKOTO: So, do we… help them…?

MAKOTO: Would they even accept help from us?

TOYA: I think I know how we can get some fire off of their backs…

TOYA: That school festival is coming up soon, right?

MAKOTO: Yeah, why?

TOYA: I have an idea.

TOYA: I'm gonna stop by that cafe tomorrow and have a talk with Akira.

TOYA: I'll fill you in on the details in the morning, alright?

MAKOTO: Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then.

**October 22nd, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

Between accusations of being a murderer, and Haru refusing to so much as even look at him and his group… things were getting rough for Akira. He didn't really want to do much anymore, he just wanted to be at home and try to calm down. As it stood right now, there wasn't anything he could actually do about the situation he was in. He walked in to Leblanc, only to be greeted by a familiar face… one that he wasn't exactly happy to see.

"Oh, there you are." Toya slowly turned to face him, their eyes meeting. Akira was extremely tired and not in the mood to get into an argument, so he just wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

"What do you want?"

"Someone's grumpy. Though, I expected as much." Toya took a sip of his coffee, before the TV started playing something that caught his interest.

"In response to the police identifying the Phantom Thieves as primary suspects, Goro Akechi had this to say."

"Even though my opinion has been met with criticism, I've held fast that the Phantom Thieves are not just. However… I believe the recent series of suspicious deaths is unrelated to their actions."

"Wh-what!? Did I hear you correctly? But Akechi, you were the first to caution everyone about the Phantom Thieves… were you not?"

"This doesn't change the fact that they are indeed a dangerous group. That said, I would like to express that immediately linking them to this case is far too hasty. There are still many questions to be answered here… It feels though there is more to this."

"After this conference, Akechi announced he will be limiting his media appearances and-"

"So, he's suddenly the one saying that the Phantom Thieves are innocent. How very interesting." Toya took another sip of his coffee, before turning to Akira. "What about you? Do _you_ think the Phantom Thieves are innocent?"

"Of course. Killing Okumura doesn't seem like something they'd do."

"I figured you'd say that." Toya slowly got out of his seat, staring straight at Akira. "Say… let's have a chat upstairs. There's something we should discuss." Akira nodded, clenching his fist behind his back. The fact that Toya was here of all places… he was definitely up to something, but what? He slowly walked upstairs, with Toya following behind him.

"What did you do, Toya?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Okumura is dead, and the only person who has access to the Metaverse is you and your partner."

"Oh, is that what you think? Come on now. Surely you're not _that_ stupid, are you?"

"What are you getting at?" Toya took a deep sigh, before staring right into Akira's eyes.

"April 24th. That's the day I moved here. Two days later, on April 26th, I followed you and your group into Kamoshida's Palace. I awakened to my Persona as I watched your fight against Kamoshida, and ultimately, my involvement in the fight saved you and your group."

"What are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at… is that before I even moved here, there were already instances of mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns. How could I _possibly_ be the only other person who can get into the Metaverse?" Akira paused for a moment. What Toya was saying… actually made sense. "I mean, let's be real. The only thing that sounds more outrageous than the Phantom Thieves killing the father of their newest teammate… is me killing both my brother _and _my father. Use your head, Akira. Why would I do something as deranged as that?"

"Wait… your father?" Toya's eyes widened… he hadn't realized that he accidentally told Akira what happened to his father. His entire expression changed as he thought about what happened to his father… and it's something that Akira instantly noticed. This was the first time he had seen Toya like this… for once, he just seemed… frail.

"A-Anyways… the point is that right now, the Phantom Thieves are in the spotlight, even though I know you guys didn't do it. That being said… I have an offer for you, as well as Ryuji and Ann, since the two of them also attend Shujin."

"What is it?"

"Me and Makoto want you to join the school festival executive committee. We've already done most of the work, so you don't have to worry about it. All you have to do is show up and keep your head down. After all, due to your record, if the police are going to be looking at anyone in particular, it's going to be you, and by extension, the rest of your group."

"I'll talk to them about it. There's no catch, is there?"

"No, nothing. But… there is probably one thing you should know. You remember that Akechi guy that was just on TV?"

"I do. What about him?"

"The student body all vote on a special guest of honor to show up. Akechi managed to win by a landslide, so… expect to see him there. I imagine you're probably not too thrilled to know that he's gonna be there, but… they would notice if he didn't show, especially considering how many people voted for him."

"They won't be happy to hear that, but… it sounds necessary. I'll tell them what you told me."

"Good. That's all I had to say. Tell me what your team thinks tomorrow." Toya turned around and began walking away.

"Wait. There's something I need to ask." He turned back towards Akira. What else could Akira possibly need of him? "That other Metaverse user… what are we going to do about him?"

"I'm sorry- 'we'?"

"Do you plan on dealing with him alone? We could help you, you know."

"Oh, Akira… don't get the wrong idea. I do wish the best for you and your team, I really do. But don't get the wrong idea… this doesn't mean I trust any of you with that." He turned around again, walking back towards the stairs before turning his head to Akira and glaring at him. "You can ask your team… I'm sure they're very aware of how capable I am on my own. Having Makoto with me as well is more than enough to deal with whoever this other Metaverse user might be." Without giving Akira another chance to respond, Toya walked away, leaving the cafe altogether. Akira considered everything that he said… there really was something unique about Toya. He was considerate- but he wasn't necessarily nice. Then again… his team was pretty mean to him. It makes sense that he's rough around the edges. He laid down on his bed, taking out his phone.

AKIRA: We have a situation.

AKIRA: ...A really weird one.

YUSUKE: What happened?

AKIRA: Toya just showed up at Leblanc.

ANN: Ugh, him _again_?

ANN: What did he want this time?

AKIRA: He offered us spots on the school festival executive committee.

AKIRA: Apparently, it'll keep the eyes of the authorities off of us.

RYUJI: Oh no, hell no!

RYUJI: We're not getting help from him of all people!

RYUJI: I mean, isn't he the one who probably killed Okumura!?

AKIRA: About that…

AKIRA: He actually claims that someone else who killed Okumura.

AKIRA: Someone else who has access to the Metaverse.

YUSUKE: Another person with access to the Metaverse…?

YUSUKE: Did he have any proof of that?

AKIRA: He didn't have solid proof, but…

AKIRA: Apparently the mental shutdowns started before Toya even moved here.

AKIRA: Not only that, but… apparently both his father _and_ his brother died due to a mental shutdown.

AKIRA: He wouldn't kill his own family, would he…?

ANN: I knew about his brother, but… his father too? Is that even true?

FUTABA: It is. I looked into him after he gave Morgana back.

FUTABA: His first day at Shujin was April 25th, since April 24th was a Sunday.

FUTABA: His father died a week prior, and the symptoms… they match a mental shutdown.

FUTABA: Between his father dying and him transfering to Sujin Academy, there were several instances of mental shutdowns.

FUTABA: I don't think he's lying…

YUSUKE: What about his mother? Is there any information on her?

FUTABA: Not much. She was murdered over 15 years ago- before I was even born.

ANN: That's… that's horrible…

RYUJI: Don't feel bad for him! We all know that he has serious problems.

RYUJI: You all saw what he did to Futaba! How can we trust him!?

FUTABA: I don't like it either, but… everything he's said checks out.

ANN: Now that I think about it… he never actually went after us, did he?

YUSUKE: No, he didn't.

YUSUKE: The closest he got to that was shooting my sword in Madarame's Palace, but…

YUSUKE: He shot so far away from my body. It's like he was intentionally trying to miss me.

AKIRA: Then, after his fight with Ryuji, he didn't interact with us until we were accused of being the ones to kill his brother…

RYUJI: Crap…

RYUJI: You guys really think we caused all of this?

FUTABA: Maybe.

FUTABA: I think it's too early to be sure of that though…

YUSUKE: Are you going to take his offer then, Akira?

AKIRA: I'm considering it.

AKIRA: Ryuji, Ann, what do you two think?

ANN: I don't know…

ANN: I'm still unsure how I feel about him.

RYUJI: I feel kinda bad now…

RYUJI: I won't complain if you accept his offer. Just tell me when you decide.

ANN: Yeah. I'll go along with whatever you decide, Akira.

AKIRA: Got it.

AKIRA: I'll let you all know tomorrow after I've thought about it some more.

**October 24th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

This was it… the last day before the school festival. After some consideration and some hesitation, Akira ended up accepting Toya's offer and joining the school festival executive committee, along with Ryuji and Ann. Thankfully, they didn't actually have to do much. All they really had to do was stay with Toya and Makoto at the festival for two days, which would be simple enough. Granted, they weren't necessarily looking forward to working with him after everything that went down, but that didn't matter much at the end of the day. This would help them in the long run, so ultimately, it was a good idea. Akira made his way home to Leblanc- only to run into someone waiting for him in the store again. However, it wasn't Toya this time. This time… it was actually Akechi.

"Welcome home. Your name was… Akira, correct?"

"That's right." Akira and Akechi hadn't spoken much before this. The only time the two of them ever interacted was when Akechi first came to Leblanc. Before that, they had never met each other, so they weren't exactly friends. Akechi turned away from Akira, now looking at Sojiro. "How has business been for you lately?"

"Take a look around." Sojiro responded, before pausing, contemplating if he should ask what he wanted to. "...Is the Niijima lady doing well?"

"Unfortunately, no. We haven't seen much of each other lately, but the last time we met… well, a friend of mine gave her a hard time." Akechi looked down, before taking a small sip of coffee. "The worst part is, she's actually the legal guardian of him. Though, ever since his brother died, he's been… rough around the edges, to say the very least."

"Wait… since his brother died…?" Akira held on to his head for a moment. "You're not talking about Toya Kazero, are you?"

"I'm surprised you know him. Are you two friends?"

"Kind of. Truthfully, I don't think he actually likes me much. He's always so condescending towards me and all of my friends… like he thinks he's better than all of us or something." Akira took a deep sigh, before sitting down on a chair next to Akechi, thinking about everything Toya had said to him in the past.

"That certainly does sound like him. He gets part of that from his brother, but… it's a lot more extreme in Toya's case, I suppose."

"The damn kid started a fight here a few weeks ago." Sojiro grunted. He wasn't the biggest fan of Toya after that, even though when he was here a few days ago, he didn't seem like he would ever do something like that.

"That was more of Ryuji's fault than his, to be honest…" Akira recalled back to the night. Toya hadn't even tried to hurt Ryuji. Realistically, he could have dodged out of the way or blocked it rather easily. It was almost like he didn't want to, for some reason. "It's weird. He actually invited me to join the school festival executive committee… even though we're not really on good terms. That reminds me, he said something about trying to get you to come to the school festival. Have you heard anything about that?"

"Oh, yes. I was going to tell them when I was on my way home, but I do plan on attending. Speaking of… I probably should be going now." Akechi slowly got out of his seat, walking towards the door and leaving. On his way out… weird thoughts came into his mind. At this point, he knew that Akira Kurusu was the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He had photo and video evidence of them leaving the Metaverse, as well as some extra images taken there. The fact that Toya seemed to know him and the rest of his group at the same time… was he connected to the Phantom Thieves in some way? He never saw him go into or leave Okumura's Palace, so he didn't know for sure. However… simply dismissing this as a coincidence seemed like a bad idea. Perhaps he could figure out more information at the school festival, but for now… he could only theorize about what the truth is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Akira and Akechi haven't actually interacted much in this story. The reasoning for this is quite simple: they never met at the TV station.
> 
> In the main story, Akechi first meets the group there and his confidant is unlocked the very next day. However, due to Toya's inclusion in the story. He spoke to Toya instead of Akira in all instances... but the most interesting of these is the infamous pancake scene.
> 
> If you recall back to this scene, Akechi said this directly to Toya, instead of the Phantom Thieves. Because of this... the Phantom Thieves actually have no idea that Akechi has access to the Metaverse at the moment. If you didn't realize that yet, well... you know now.


	46. School Festival

**October 25th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Afternoon - School Festival**

The day was finally upon the Phantom Thieves. The school festival… under normal circumstances, none of them would actually care about this. It'd be written off as just some event that they would attend if they were bored enough. However, this was an exception. They were actually invited to come here… by someone they all knew better than they would have liked to: a boy their age by the name Toya Kazero. Though, while they knew him in the real world, they knew him much better in the cognitive world… the other half of his personality, when he goes under the code name Hazard. Admittedly, they weren't very fond of him, and found themselves going against him more than working with him. Today was going to be the first day that they worked together instead of against each other… and actually acted like there was nothing going on in between them, almost as if they were all friends. If it would keep the eyes of the police off of them… then they were willing to do it, especially after everything that happened to Okumura.

"The festival seems to be a success." Yusuke said, as he looked around at all of the people that were moving around and talking to each other.

"There's definitely a lot more people than last year." Ann turned towards everyone else, just as surprised as Yusuke was.

"Well, yeah. This place got 'famous' and all. The Phantom Thieves, Kamoshida, Principal Kobayakawa. On top of that, we got Akechi as a guest." Ryuji was one of the people who was most against this idea. While he did feel bad about everything that went down between him and Toya, especially after what Futaba found on him… he still didn't know if this was the best idea. After all, it wouldn't surprise him at all if Toya ended up trying to expose their identities as the Phantom Thieves.

"There you all are." Out of the corner of their eyes, they all noticed someone coming towards them. However, instead of seeing Toya… it was actually Makoto, being the first to greet them. "Sorry if you all were expecting Toya instead… he'll be here in a few minutes."

"What's he doing?" Akira tilted his head slightly, looking around to see if he could find Toya anywhere.

"He's looking for Haru right now. She's still under the impression that you're all guilty of what happened… so she would probably freak out if she saw me and him with you guys. Toya's making sure she understands everything."

"Haru…" Morgana slowly crawled out of Akira's bag, facing Makoto. "Is she okay…?"

"She's fine. Of course, she's still coming to terms with what happened, but… apart from that, she's perfectly fine." Makoto paused, looking around the crowd. "There may be police officers in plain clothes too… actually, they probably are here. We better be careful about what we discuss."

While this conversation was going on, Toya was looking around the school, until finally running into Haru. It was hard to find her in the massive crowd… after all, there were way more people than he expected. However, at last, they ran into each other.

"Finally… I've been looking for you for a good 10 minutes at this point." Toya took a deep sigh, catching his breath after running around the entire school. People were giving him weird glances the entire time, but… that wasn't really important.

"Oh, Toya! Is there something you need?"

"No, actually. There's something you need… something you need to hear, to be specific." Toya looked around, seeing that people were all around them. "Let's go somewhere where people can't hear this. It's about… cognition, if you get what I mean." Haru paused for a moment, before understanding what Toya meant. She nodded, following behind him as they found an empty classroom.

"Cognition… so it has to do with the Metaverse?"

"Kind of. To be more specific… it's about what happened to your father." Haru's expression changed, as the memories of the broadcast all came flooding back to her. "Hey… Haru, you need to hear this right now. Believe me… I don't want to just bombard you with this out of nowhere, but… it's really important." Haru took a deep breath, before calming herself down and looking towards Toya again.

"Did you confirm who did it…?"

"No, I didn't. But… there's one thing I kept a secret from everyone, except Makoto. The truth is… there's someone else who has access to the Metaverse." Haru's eyes widened, as she took a step back.

"Someone else…? Wait, are you saying… someone completely unrelated might have killed my father…?"

"Yes, I am. I've been looking into him for months now… but there's never been anything I could do about his crimes. But… the very least I could do is clear your head, and tell you the truth of who actually killed your father. It wasn't the Phantom Thieves… not in the slightest."

"Who was it…? Please, I need to know…"

"His name is Goro Akechi." Haru's expression became even more shocked as she took another step back, nearly tripping. "Judging by that response… you've heard of him before, haven't you?"

"Of course! I've seen him all over TV before, but… he's actually a criminal…?"

"Yes. Months ago, back when my class had a trip to a TV station… I encountered him there. We were friends at the time, and I thought he was just some innocent kid. However… while we were there, we actually heard the Phantom Thieves around the corner. Morgana said something about pancakes, and… Akechi reacted to it."

"He heard Morgana say something about pancakes…? Wait, that means…!"

"Yes. It means he's been to the Metaverse before. Then, I did some more digging into him… and as it turns out, every case he's solved has had something to do with either a mental shutdown, or a psychotic breakdown. Both of which, to my understanding, can only be done within the cognitive world."

"But that… that doesn't make any sense! He's a celebrity, yet he… he's a killer…!?"

"He is. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, Haru. I didn't want to bring something like this up until I was sure… but there's no doubt in my mind anymore. Goro Akechi is the person who killed your father." Toya took out his phone… it was already getting later than he thought. "I have to go. Once I knew the Phantom Thieves were innocent, I invited them to spend the festival with me, so they wouldn't seem as suspicious. I don't want to keep them waiting any longer than I have to." Toya started walking away, before suddenly, he felt Haru grab his arm.

"Is… is it okay if I come with you?"

"Of course it is. Come on, let's go. People are gonna get the wrong idea if we're in an empty classroom together for too long." Haru's expression was completely baffled as a slight blush appeared on her face, before Toya quickly opened the door and walked into the hallway, pulling Haru out in the process. They didn't know where to look, so they decided to split up, and text each other if they found everyone else. Haru started walking around, trying to peek above people's heads to look for a face she recognized, before accidentally bumping into somebody, stumbling back a few steps before regaining her balance.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!"

"No, it's quite alright. I wasn't paying attention either." Haru and the person she bumped into slowly looked towards each other, buy as soon as their eyes met, Haru became absolutely terrified. "Hang on… aren't you president Okumura's daughter…?"

"Oh… um, yes. Your name is… Goro Akechi, correct?"

"Oh, you recognize me? I suppose I'm still getting my name out there, even without the influence of Ken!" Akechi seemed proud of himself, but behind that smile… there was a monster hiding, according to Toya. however, true horror didn't sink in until she considered what Akechi had just said about Ken, and then recalling what Toya had told her.

* * *

_Toya: "Both my brother and father are dead. They both died of a mental shutdown." _

_Toya: "You can't accidentally cause a mental shutdown. You have to go out of your way and actually try to kill someone for it to happen."_

* * *

_Toya: _ "_I've been looking into him for months now… but there's never been anything I could do about his crimes. But… the very least I could do is clear your head, and tell you the truth of who actually killed your father. His name is Goro Akechi."_

* * *

That was the truth of it… it made sense. Not only did Akechi kill her father… but he even killed Toya's family. Haru was alone with a psychopath right now… and that terror was visible on her face.

"Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost…"

"What? O-Oh! I'm fine, sorry! I was just… thinking about something I saw on TV last night!" Haru frantically tried to answer, her entire body shaking. Akechi knew something was up, but… what could it be? Was she just a shy person? Either way… he was there for a reason, and it wasn't for this.

"I see. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm actually looking for someone. Do you have an idea of where Makoto Niijima is?"

"M-Makoto? Um… actually, I was looking for her too…" Haru spoke softly, before feeling her phone vibrate. She quickly took it out and checked her messages.

TOYA: I finally found them.

TOYA: They're by the food stands. Are you close?

HARU: Oh!

HARU: I'll be there soon!

"She's by the food stands… I'll be going there now."

"The food stands? I'm not familiar with the school… do you think you could bring me along with you?" Haru hesitantly nodded in response, before slowly walking towards the food stands, with Akechi following close behind her.

Meanwhile, Toya was staring awkwardly at his phone for a moment. Haru sounded… troubled, in a way. Then again, he did just tell her that she was wrong about who she thought her father's killer as, and told her that it was a celebrity who actually did it, so her acting different wasn't _too_ weird. Regardless of that, Toya slowly walked forward, approaching Makoto, along with the entirety of the Phantom Thieves.

"Sorry I'm late. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find people here…"

"Where's Haru!?" Morgana quickly crawled out of the bag and faced towards Toya. Somehow, he managed to show so much emotion, despite being a literal cat.

"Calm down, she's fine. I filled her in on everything. We split up to find you guys faster, and I already told her where we are. She'll probably be here in a few minutes." Morgana took a sigh of relief, going back into the bag. Toya looked around at everyone… they were all nervously staring at him. Ryuji and Ann seemed… almost apologetic. Yusuke seemed more confused than anything, while Akira just had his usual blank stare. He couldn't blame them for any of these reactions, but then he saw Futaba. His eyes widened when he saw her, but as soon as she laid eyes on him, she hid her face behind Ann.

* * *

_Toya: "You…"_

_Toya: "_ _ **YOU'RE IN MY WAY!"** _

* * *

Toya knew exactly why she was reacting like this, but… he couldn't blame her, either. He felt absolutely horrible about that day, even still.

"...I apologize to you, especially." His eyes slowly panned down after he spoke to Futaba, before turning away and grabbing an extra chair, sitting a noticeable distance away from everyone else. Before things got too awkward, a student in a maid outfit slowly walked towards the group, putting something down on the table.

"Thank you for the wait!"

"Is this… takoyaki…?" Toya gave a puzzled look at the food. For some reason, one of them was bright red.

"Yeah. Apparently it's 'Russian' takoyaki." Ryuji responded while trying to think of what that even meant. "What about this is russian, anyways?"

"Well, one of then is special!" The student maid slowly walked off, as everyone stared awkwardly at the takoyaki.

"Uh, one of them's obviously red. That's gotta be the one."

"Dude… don't tell me the 'Russian' part means…"

"It's like, going for the obvious one is manly?"

"I-Is that so?"

"I'd prefer the most beautifully shaped one… but all of them are misshapen."

"Well, the red one stands out, but… I don't know if eating that one is a good idea…" Toya considered taking it, but… something about it seemed like a bad idea.

"Well, someone should go for it…" Makoto spoke, but after taking another look at it, she regretted saying anything. "On second thought… maybe not…"

"I'll take it." Akira spoke up, causing everyone to stare at him.

"You're out of your mind…" Toya responded, before suddenly hearing footsteps behind him.

"Oh, everyone's all here." That voice… they all recognized it. They all turned around to see Goro Akechi approaching them, accompanied by Haru.

"Th-The panel isn't until tomorrow though…" Makoto was just as surprised as everyone else was. Haru slowly sat down next to everyone else, staying particularly close to Toya as her legs trembled ever so slightly.

"I came to check out the venue. I can't make any mistakes since a lot of people will be present."

"Someone's eager."

"I came to find Makoto originally, but to think all of you would be here together… I wasn't expecting something like this." Akechi looked at all of them for a moment. Toya and Makoto were hanging out with the Phantom Thieves… that couldn't be a coincidence. He slowly took a step forward, picking up the red takoyaki. "...I'm going to have one of these. Let's just call this my performance fee."

"I think it's only fair that the special guest gets the special takoyaki." Toya said, slightly grinning.

"But-" Ann tried to speak up about the special takoyaki Akechi was about to eat.

"Toya's right! The guest of honor deserves the special meal!" Ryuji and Toya looked towards each other, smirking for a moment before Akechi ate the entire takoyaki in one bite.

"Mmm, it's quite deli-" Suddenly, Akechi paused, before grunting in pain. "...HNNNGH!?"

"Eating it in one bite is a bad idea…"

"Ngh… my throat…! Urgh! This is…! Ohhh… oh, my stomach… it burns…!"

"Are you OK? Do you need water?"

"I-I-I'm… I'm fine! I just love… uh… spicy- spicy stuff… haha… hah…"

"Hey, does he sound broken to you?"

"W-Well then… I'll… I'll see you… uh… t-t-t-tomorrow." Akechi slowly started walking away from the group, completely losing his train of thought from the takoyaki. Toya and Ryuji couldn't help but laugh a little bit while watching him wobble away.

TOYA: The closest bathroom is to the right.

TOYA: You're welcome.

AKECHI: ...Thanks...


	47. Confrontation

**October 25th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

HARU: Hello there…

AKIRA: Haru?

HARU: Forgive me for contacting you so late. I was struggling to get my thoughts together upon returning home, but…

HARU: I wanted to apologize for not trusting you… for thinking that you may have been the one to kill my father.

AKIRA: You don't have to apologize for that, Haru. I understand.

HARU: I do have to apologize.

HARU: Something like that… I shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.

HARU: My emotions got the best of me… and for that, I'm terribly sorry.

AKIRA: Really, it's fine. Everyone understands.

AKIRA: Whoever killed your father… we're gonna find out who they are.

HARU: So it's true…

HARU: Toya didn't tell you about their identity.

AKIRA: I asked, but he refused.

AKIRA: He said he didn't trust me enough.

AKIRA: Wait… did he tell you?

HARU: Yes, he did.

HARU: But… he asked me to keep it a secret from him.

HARU: I'm sorry, but I'll be keeping my word to him.

AKIRA: Are you sure…?

AKIRA: Can Toya and Makoto really handle whoever it is on their own?

HARU: Yes, I'm sure they can. Toya and Makoto are incredibly capable on their own…

HARU: I never got to tell you this, but… you remember that man that was with my father's shadow, correct? The cognitive version of my fiance.

AKIRA: I do. What about him?

HARU: Well…

HARU: Before we all came to Leblanc that night to bring Morgana back… we all went into Mementos together.

HARU: My fiance went under a change of heart. That's when I awakened to my Persona's true power.

AKIRA: You and Morgana fought alongside Toya and Makoto…?

HARU: We did.

HARU: They're very capable on their own. Their synergy and trust in each other… it's even stronger than what the Phantom Thieves have.

HARU: Not to mention… they're willing to pull off bizarre ideas and strategies in fights, and they manage to pull them off with ease.

HARU: Toya told me about a few of their fights together…

HARU: Did you know that Makoto got kidnapped by Kaneshiro before they changed his heart?

AKIRA: Kaneshiro…

AKIRA: That's that mob boss in Shibuya, right?

HARU: Yes. Toya marched into Kaneshiro's club on his own to save Makoto from him.

HARU: And that's only the beginning of their time spent together… since then, they've been through so much. They even started dating.

AKIRA: Wait, those two are dating?

HARU: They don't bring it up much, but yes. That's part of the reason why they synergize so well together.

HARU: They truly are an amazing team.

HARU: Oh! It's getting so late…

HARU: Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight!

AKIRA: Oh, goodnight.

Akira slowly put his phone away, laying down in his bed. Morgana had already fallen asleep, so he was just alone with his thoughts. Toya and Makoto… to think their synergy was that good. Akira was fully aware that the two of them were impressive, but he didn't know just how much they trusted each other… but could they really stop a psychopath that causes mental shutdowns? He had to try and trust them… but that was hard, especially since Toya very openly doesn't trust him, or any of his friends, apart from Haru apparently. Akira didn't actually know much about Toya, the more he thought about it… except for one thing. Apparently, Toya is dating Makoto… and Makoto's sister is his legal guardian. How that happened was completely beyond him… but it was definitely weird. Regardless, he had another big day ahead of him tomorrow. The second day of the school festival… and Goro Akechi's panel. Maybe he'd say something about the Phantom Thieves… Akira didn't really want that to happen. He wanted the Phantom Thieves to stay undercover for a while, that would be for the best.

**October 26th, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Afternoon - School Festival**

"Well then, we will now begin today's panel. Our guest of honor is Goro Akechi."

"I feel kind of bad, considering how many people have gathered… I'm sure you all would've been happier to have a singer or a mascot appear, wouldn't you say?" The crowd started laughing… for whatever reason. Toya and all of the Phantom Thieves watched from a bit further away than everyone else, having an overhead view of everything.

"We'd appreciate it if you could tell us about your experiences with the notorious Phantom Thieves. It'd be wonderful if you could let us hear more about your actual investigative process."

"I'm not used to being the one interrogated… so please go easy on me."

"Why's she pressing her about the Phantom Thieves?" Akira looked towards Toya, annoyed to hear that the Phantom Thieves were still going to be brought up.

"We want to see how much Akechi knows about the Phantom Thieves. He's been against you guys ever since you showed up, but suddenly he started saying you're innocent. We're trying to figure out more information about that."

"Can't you just ask him yourself? I thought you two were friends."

"Things between us have bit… questionable, at best. I'd rather not talk to him more than I have to, to be honest." Toya sighed. While it's true that Akechi used to be his friend… he hasn't seen him as one for a while. Ever since he put the pieces together about Akechi's other self… he hasn't seen him the same.

"He talks of how the Phantom Thieves are dangerous, yet he says they haven't committed any murders… either he has an idea who the true culprit is, or he has uncovered the identities of the Phantom Thieves."

"Whatever he knows about you guys… it's not from me. I haven't told him a single thing about you guys." Toya sighed, closing his eyes. What were the chances that Akechi actually knew who they were?

"Are we supposed to just trust that, dude?" Ryuji was the first not to trust what he was saying, which Toya expected.

"If I wanted to expose you guys, I would've told someone more important. I have enough connections to get you guys arrested within a day. I have no reason to tell someone like him." Ryuji tried to respond, but he knew Toya was telling the truth.

"As much as you're allowed to say, would you tell us how far along your investigation is on them?"

"Getting right to the point, I see. Well, if it's as much as I'm allowed to say, then everything on TV and the internet is all of it. We don't have any leads yet, and the methods behind their crimes are still unclear."

"I see… even with this country's power, arresting them is proving to be difficult… is that the case?"

"I wouldn't phrase it that way… but well, something like that."

"Thank you for answering that question. By the way, it seems you've denied a correlation between the Phantom Thieves and the murders… why the sudden change? Until now, haven't you upheld your stance that the Phantom Thieves are dangerous? How are you so positive that they haven't committed murder?"

"Aren't you a little too comfortable interrogating people? Why, it's as if you're a prosecutor."

"Ah, excuse me. This is something I've personally been interested in, so I couldn't help it… but won't you tell us? What reason is there that you'd claim their innocence when you previous stated they were unjust?"

"She's really pressing for an answer." Haru watched from within the crowd. She expected the Phantom Thieves to be brought up, but… this was way more than she was expecting.

"Every person whose heart they changed have truly been criminals, including Okumura… why, then, was he the only one who needed to be killed...?"

"Why is that?"

"I must admit… I couldn't deduce a reason. That's why I believe that case should be thought as if a different party is responsible. And if- this is all hypothetical, mind you. If the Phantom Thieves are the ones I know of, I can't possibly imagine they would kill anyone."

"Your comment just now… does this mean the police have already identified who they are?"

"Oh, no. the police haven't gotten that far yet. But I have my own conclusions about the true identities of the Phantom Thieves." After saying this, Akechi faced directly towards the group. He knew they were all there, but… he wasn't expecting to see Toya with them. Why was he suddenly hanging around with them so much? That couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

"He's staring right at us." Toya panned his eyes towards the rest of the group. "You guys haven't let anything slip, have you?"

"Hell no! He's gotta be bluffin'!"

"Pipe down!" Ann raised her voice towards Ryuji. Still, Akechi was staring right at them… he had to know _something_. But how much could he possibly know. Where did they mess up?

"You're not going to ask me who they are?"

"...It may have repercussions on the investigation. Are you sure you can share that with us?"

"It's only my personal opinion, so announcing that here wouldn't pose a problem. However… there is a possibility that everyone present will hear the truth before the police or media."

"...That's quite the confidence you have. If you're so certain… then very well. I'd like to ask you then: Who do you think the Phantom Thieves are, Goro Akechi?"

"That idiot!"

"No… there's no way he could have any evidence…"

"They're people you all know quite well. The identity of the Phantom Thieves are-" Suddenly, he paused, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Oh, it's mine. I apologize for the interruption, but i can't turn off my phone due to my job. Would you mind if I step away for about… ten minutes or so?"

"I'm terribly sorry, everyone, but we'll be taking a break. We'll resume the panel in ten minutes."

"Please don't troll me online for this interruption, OK?" Akechi bowed, and then started walking towards Makoto. "Is there a room I may use?"

"There's the PE faculty office."

"Wonderful. Thank you." Akechi started walking away, but as he walked, he pulled his phone out once more.

AKECHI: Would you mind telling your friends to come meet me in the PE faculty office? There's a matter I want to discuss.

TOYA: Did you set this up…?

AKECHI: I only have ten minutes, you know.

TOYA: Fine. I'll send them there now.

Toya sighed, looking towards the rest of the group.

"Bad news. Akechi wants to see all of you in the PE faculty office. He says there's a matter he wants to discuss."

"So… does he know the truth then?" Akira stared directly at Toya. When he said that he didn't tell Akechi anything… he sounded like he was telling the truth. So how could Akechi know anything?

"I'm not sure. Though… it's a very real possibility." Akira nodded, closing his eyes for a moment before walking towards the PE faculty office. Toya waited for a moment, before slowly following them. They all made their way towards the office, with Toya standing outside the door.

TOYA: Akechi called the Phantom Thieves into the PE faculty office…

MAKOTO: What!?

HARU: Does he know the truth…?

TOYA: I don't know.

TOYA: I'm waiting outside the door, listening in.

TOYA: I'll tell you two what I hear.

MAKOTO: Try not to get seen…

MAKOTO: We don't want Akechi to be suspicious of you too.

TOYA: I'll be fine. You two just… try to act natural, alright?

Toya put his phone away and crouched down outside of the door, staying out of anyone's line of sight. He heard the sound of pictures being put down on the table, but he couldn't see what they were.

"That's gotta be 'shopped!"

"I have video footage too. Please, let's not feign ignorance. All of you can go to that other world too, yes?"

"What are you talking about?"

"As I just said, I know everything. I also know that when you traverse over there, your appearance changes as well. It's because of those mysterious powers, isn't it? I found out about that world about a month ago. This had been installed onto my phone without my knowledge."

"Dude, it's the Nav…"

"When the app activated on its own, the scenery around me suddenly changed. Quite frankly, I still can't believe it myself. But from the look of these photos, all of you seem quite used to it."

"We've been listenin' to you blab on for a while now, but cut the delusional-"

"All of you are acting as Phantom Thieves in the Metaverse. I can say so with conviction because I have the same power as you." Toya took a few steps back, taking his phone out again.

TOYA: Akechi found out.

TOYA: He has photo and video evidence of who the Phantom Thieves are, apparently.

MAKOTO: He does…?

HARU: If Akechi knows who the Phantom Thieves are, then…

HARU: What will happen to Akira…?

HARU: Wouldn't he get immediately arrested?

TOYA: Definitely. But…

TOYA: Akechi doesn't sound like he's trying to get them arrested.

TOYA: Hang on. I'm still listening.

"I believe that you didn't kill anyone as well. I saw another- the real culprit."

"For real!?"

"Who was it!?"

"I couldn't identify his face… he had a mask on, after all. Actually, when I took these photos, I entered that world too. That's when I saw someone else moving about, besides all of you. He shot at me the moment he noticed me."

"That's who killed President Okumura?"

"Most likely. At the very least, I was almost killed by him. 'I can't die here… I need to determine the truth…' When those thoughts overcame me, I awakened to that power- a most fortunate accident."

"This guy has a Persona too…?"

"This cat… I swear it just talked…"

"Morgana. Our teammate who taught us about the Metaverse."

"...Really? This is unbelievable… But it IS true that you know things that I don't..."

TOYA: Akechi came clean about having a Persona.

TOYA: He's currently acting like this is his first time hearing Morgana's voice.

MAKOTO: He's covering all of his bases…

MAKOTO: He's playing all of them at once.

HARU: Shouldn't we warn them…?

TOYA: No, not yet.

TOYA: I want to see how far this goes. This still might be a good thing.

TOYA: I need to figure out what Akechi wants first…

"I want us to strike a deal. I may be able to save you from this situation."

"A deal…?"

"I would like you to cooperate with me on investigating the truth."

"And if we decline?"

"Then I think I'll have to inform the police about all of you, along with that video I mentioned."

"This ain't no deal! It's blackmail!"

"Say what you will. This is the method that I believe is correct. The justice I upload will not tolerate criminals who kill people at their leisure." Akechi paused for a moment, considering something in his head. "Say. Allow me to give you more details about this deal tomorrow. But for now… I'd like you all to leave the room." Akechi slightly tilted his head, looking towards the door. "I'd also like if you came in, Toya. I know you've been listening in." Toya's eyes widened in shock. Akechi somehow managed to see him. He slowly stood up, walking into the room.

"Dude… you're still spying on us…?" Ryuji put his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes. He wasn't necessarily surprised, just disappointed.

"Don't pretend like you weren't expecting it, Ryuji." Toya looked at all of the Phantom Thieves for a moment. They didn't seem upset with him, thankfully. "Well, you heard him. Let me and Akechi have the room for a bit." They all slowly started walking away, with Akira going out especially slow, staring at Toya with slight concern.

"It seems you're quite familiar with that entire group, Toya."

"You could say that. I wouldn't exactly say that we're friends though."

"You're not friends? That's odd. You don't seem surprised that that they're the Phantom Thieves."

"Because I'm not. I've known for quite some time now. Ever since their first change of heart, to be specific."

"So, you kept it from everyone… even your brother."

"It's not like I could prove it. After all, I can't access that other world. There's no 'mysterious app' on my phone."

"You've… never been to the Metaverse? Then how did you know that they're the Phantom Thieves?"

"Just because I can't access this world doesn't mean I can't see them going in. One day, as I was heading home, I saw three of them standing in an alleyway together by this school. They were on their phones for a while, and then suddenly, they all vanished into thin air. I started following them around after that."

"So, you found them by chance… how interesting."

"It's why I was convinced that they weren't the reason for a majority of the mental shutdowns. I had been following them for so long." Toya slowly walked towards the pictures Akechi took, picking one up. "So, this is the person behind the murders…?"

"Yes. From experience, I can say that he's quite dangerous."

"Oh, I'm sure you know all about that." Toya glared at Akechi. Akechi could tell there was some kind of subliminal message in what Toya was saying… he must have known more than he was letting on.

"Is there something you're trying to imply here, Toya?"

"You're getting defensive all of a sudden. Relax, I'm not implying a single thing. I'm just surprised you were able to get as close as you were without getting yourself killed. Then again… you did say you awoke to a new power, so I suppose that's how you managed to get away. I assume you weren't able to put an end to him though, correct?"

"That's right. I must say though… I'm a bit shocked right now."

"Shocked? What do you mean?"

"There's a level of malice in your voice, Toya. I've heard you talk when you're angry or annoyed, but this… this is different. Why is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Whoever this masked person is…" Toya paused for a moment, clenching his fist tightly. "That's the bastard who killed my brother. He may even be the one who killed my father."

"Your father died of a mental shutdown as well… I had almost forgotten about that."

"Listen. For my entire life, I've valued judgement. I think everyone deserves to be judged without any form of bias when charged with any form of a crime. I believe that is what true justice is in its purest form. However… someone like him…" Toya clenched his fist tighter, his nails digging into his skin. Akechi looked at his fist and noticed that a vein was visible… there was a lot more anger in Toya than he realized. "I don't want justice for that man. I don't want him to have a chance of retribution. So, if you ever are to encounter him, do me a favor…" Toya turned around, walking towards the door before turning his head, glaring at Akechi. "Make sure he never ruins another life again. Even if that means killing him." Toya walked out of the room, not even giving Akechi a chance to respond. Akechi was in complete disbelief at that point… he saw Toya in a different way now. There truly was something sinister inside of him… and that hidden malevolence is where his Palace resides in his mind. Toya's Palace… that was the one mystery he was still unable to solve. He had no idea what his keywords were. If there was some hidden darkness in his heart… he had to be the one to find it.

TOYA: He saw me.

MAKOTO: He did!?

TOYA: Yeah. Nothing happened though.

TOYA: I convinced him that I've never actually been to the Metaverse. Looks like he bought it.

HARU: So, what now…?

HARU: What does he want from the Phantom Thieves?

TOYA: I'm not sure. I think they're gonna be working together though…

TOYA: We need to watch out for whatever Akechi might be up to.

MAKOTO: Do you think they have a target for the Metaverse?

TOYA: That's probably it… but I have no clue as to who that target may be.

HARU: I don't have the slightest clue either.

TOYA: Well… we'll just have to wait and see, then.

TOYA: If either of you hear anything, say it right away.

TOYA: We can't trust Akechi.

MAKOTO: Got it.

HARU: I'll tell you two right away.


	48. The Whims of Fate

**October 29th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Courthouse**

TOYA: Do you have plans for today?

TOYA: Looking into Akechi for so long is starting to burn me out…

MAKOTO: Sorry, I'm doing something…

MAKOTO: It's college related, so I won't be able to cancel.

TOYA: Damn it…

TOYA: Well, I'll find something to do.

TOYA: See you tomorrow.

MAKOTO: See you!

Makoto took a deep breath. Truth be told… she completely lied to Toya. It wasn't because she doesn't trust him enough- that was far from the case. But… this was something that she had to do alone. When she learned that Akechi was working along the Phantom Thieves for something, she knew it couldn't be any good. After a few days of consideration, a thought crossed her mind- a thought that actually scared her. She looked towards the courthouse for a moment… the place where her sister had spent so much time. Not only that… but there was something else to it, as well. In the other world, the cognitive world… it held Sae's darkest thoughts. Her corruption, personified into a shadow, reigned as the ruler of her own Palace, a cognitive casino. She figured out all of Sae's keywords the night before, but today… today she would go in alone. She wasn't going to even attempt at changing her sister's heart, but… she could definitely enter the Palace, and figure out if her suspicions were true… if the Phantom Thieves were really targeting her sister. She didn't want it to be true, but… there was only one way to find out. She looked towards her phone, typed her sister's keywords into the Metaverse Navigator, and closed her eyes, as the atmosphere around her began to change.

**October 29th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Niijima's Palace (Main Floor)**

To Makoto's surprise, a lot of the area seemed… rather normal. Everything… except for the courthouse itself. It was a large, fancy looking casino. This was the true state of her sister's mind… it was weird to think about. However, she couldn't falter just because of that. For the sake of her sister, she pressed on, as she walked into the casino through a side entrance. From there, she started jumping across chandeliers scattered throughout the room, as well as other fancy looking lights. As she jumped across, she got a good look at the lower floor… it was littered with people who actually appeared like real human beings. That probably meant that her sister didn't think anything of them- they just exist to her. Thinking about it made her kinda sad… that her sister really didn't even think of many other people. The only exception were probably the people who were in power, the noteworthy names that she needed to interact with. As she hopped around, she eventually found an air vent to crawl through. However, just before she did, she suddenly heard voices coming from the other side.

"Welcome. Come on out, you petty thieves."

"She can see us!?"

"You're after the Treasure, are you not? Come on down and I will tell you where it is."

"Wh-What!? We're not going to fall for a trick like that…"

"It's not a lie. I only wish to do this fair and square. You aren't going to run, are you…?"

"We should do as she says. There is no point in hiding any longer." Makoto was terrified… she recognized all of those voices. Those were the Phantom Thieves, accompanied by Akechi... and they were talking with her sister. She heard the sound of people jumping down to the floor below them, and then slowly crawled through the air vent, listening in on the conversation.

"So you've come. The Treasure is located on the Manager's Floor, at the highest point of this building." Her sister was just… telling them this so easily. "I'm telling you this because I wish to go about this in the fairest manner possible. First, I ask that you come up to my location. We will continue this there…" With that, she snapped her fingers and suddenly teleported into a nearby elevator, riding up to the top.

"It seems we'll be able to use that elevator to reach higher floors. Come Joker, let us pursue her." They tried to follow her, and as a result, they were too far away for Makoto to hear them. Still… she had to know more. She carefully jumped down to the same floor as them and while they were busy trying to get the elevator open, she sneaked up the stairs before anyone noticed her, and watched them from above.

"Tch, here it comes!" Makoto then noticed that while she was on her way, a Shadow appeared before the group in the appearance of a leopard standing on two feet, holding 2 blades.

"No need to worry. I'll handle this. I need to prove my worth to you, after all." Akechi sounded as confident as ever, in an annoying way.

"I have high expectations."

"I promise to surpass even such lofty hopes as those." Akechi held on to his mask for a moment, before quickly pulling it off of his face, summoning his Persona. "Well then, let us begin. Don't worry. You can leave this one to me." Everyone else took a step back, as Akechi slowly walked forward, still holding on to his mask as a beam sword materialized in his hands. "Take them down, Robin Hood!" He yelled out, as his Persona held its bow forward, before two swords of light came closing in on the Shadow. It was a direct hit- and a powerful one. Though… there was something about it that caught Makoto's attention. Akechi sounded so… bored while letting out such an attack. It was almost as if he wasn't even trying to do a considerable amount of damage, yet he was so powerful… he had to have been holding back his true power. Maybe he doesn't want to rouse suspicions of his true power to everyone else, but Makoto was able to see through this guise.

The Shadow began charging forward towards Akechi, bringing its swords into the air and trying to slice down onto him. "Too slow!" Akechi proclaimed, as he dodged to the side. He then sliced through the Shadow twice, followed by a stab to its chest. It was more than enough to bring it down to its knees, but Akechi wasn't done. He jumped far back, before pulling out what appeared to be a ray gun, taking aim at the shadow and firing. This was more than enough to finish the Shadow off, causing it to fade away into a black mist. He turned back towards everyone else. Makoto couldn't see his face, but she could _feel_ the cocky grin he had in his face.

"You're not so bad."

"And I am capable of much more. Now then, let us deal with the Shadows quickly."

"Wait. Doesn't it sound like we're gonna get ambushed based on what we heard earlier? Shouldn't we return to the real world and prepare?"

"Very well, I trust your experience and judgement. Let us do that." With that, everyone turned away, heading out of the Palace without ever noticing Makoto. She jumped down to the floor they were on, looking at the elevator. It wasn't going to open yet… but she didn't have a reason to go any further than she already did. She already saw what she needed to see, so it was time for her to leave.

"What're you doing here!?" As Makoto was leaving, she heard someone yell out from behind her. She turned around to see two Shadows behind her. She couldn't waste any time talking to it… she quickly got into a fighting stance, as the Shadows transformed into two Valkyrie, and began charging towards her on top of their horses. Thinking fast, she pulled out her gun and shot at the legs of one of the horses, slowing it down and eventually stopping it entirely. However, she didn't have nearly enough time to stop the second one. The Valkyrie that remained on its horse rushed towards her, attempting to slice at Makoto's head. Makoto raised her arm into the air and slammed it down on the Valkyrie's blade, knocking it out of her hand and giving her the chance to counterattack, landing a powerful direct attack and knocking the Valkyrie off of its horse. With the horse vulnerable, Makoto took the opportunity to destroy it before the Valkyries could get to her. When she looked back, she saw them very slowly approaching her. Due to losing their horse, they were unable to move anywhere nearly as fast, and struggling to run in their armor. With no sense of danger remaining, Makoto took off her mask to summon her Persona, firing off a blast of nuclear energy to finish the two Shadows entirely. After her training in between her fight against Ann and now, she felt much stronger than she was previously. But even with that… she felt like she had to be even stronger. If the Phantom Thieves were going to target her sister, then she had to be stronger. If she had to fight against the Phantom Thieves again… it couldn't be as close as it was last time. Not only that, but she didn't want Toya to give in to Mephisto's power again… and she knew that he didn't want to do that either. They had to be strong enough to deal with them without him doing that… but for now, she had to go. She turned around and made her way out of the Palace, returning to the real world.

**October 30th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Kazero Household**

MAKOTO: Hey, are you awake?

MAKOTO: There's something I need to tell you.

TOYA: ...If I say no, do I get to sleep more?

MAKOTO: ...Do I need to come over there?

TOYA: I mean, if you want to.

TOYA: I probably won't fall asleep…

TOYA: ...Hopefully.

MAKOTO: Well, try not to.

MAKOTO: This is serious.

TOYA: Okay, okay…

TOYA: What's up?

MAKOTO: I know what the Phantom Thieves are doing… including Akechi.

MAKOTO: They have a new target.

TOYA: Wait, what?

TOYA: How did you find that out?

MAKOTO: Well… I've been thinking about it for a few days.

MAKOTO: If there's someone who Akechi wanted to target, it'd be someone he works with.

MAKOTO: ...Someone like my sister.

TOYA: Wait… your sister…?

TOYA: She has a Palace!?

MAKOTO: Yes.

MAKOTO: I've known for quite some time, but…

MAKOTO: I wasn't ready to ever enter it, or even tell you about it. I'm sorry…

TOYA: That's… fine.

TOYA: More importantly, we need to do something.

TOYA: I have an idea… but we'll have to wait until they send a calling card for it to work.

MAKOTO: You have an idea?

TOYA: Yeah. It's far fetched as hell, but…

TOYA: It might work.

TOYA: I'll fill you in on the details in person. We're definitely gonna need to get stronger.

MAKOTO: Okay. I'll trust you…

TOYA: I'm gonna be waiting by the station in Shibuya.

MAKOTO: I'll be there soon.

Toya stared at his phone for a moment. He wasn't mad about Makoto keeping Sae's Palace a secret- not in the slightest. But… he was keeping a Palace secret as well… that being his own. He didn't know how to tell Makoto about it… but he couldn't think about that anymore. He slowly got up and started walking outside, but before he did, he took his phone out again, staring at his messenger before typing something to someone.

TOYA: Hey.

TOYA: I need your help with something.

TOYA: It's… really important.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Daytime - Leblanc**

Business was slow today for Sojiro. Not just that day, but most days in general… his cafe wasn't that popular. But at the same time, he didn't really care. He had this cafe for more sentimental reasons than anything else. He waited around for a few minutes while smoking, before suddenly, he heard the door opening. He turned his head to see who it was, but his eyes widened on sight, as he stared at a young boy, no older than Akira was. He was wearing a Shujin uniform and had a purple bandana covering his face, one that matched the color of his eyes. He had one of his hands in his pockets, and to top it off, he had this… menacing aura around him, as he stared right through Sojiro's soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter begins my favorite arc of the entire story. 
> 
> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 6  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 6  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 6  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 8  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 6  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	49. The Ultimate Show (1 of 5)

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Daytime - Leblanc**

"Who the hell are you!?" Sojiro yelled, his voice showing off the fact that he was nervous. This person looked familiar… the way he stared and stood in place, the cocky and menacing aura he exuded… Sojiro recognized this. But his face was being covered… he couldn't tell exactly who it was.

"The Phantom Thieves are known worldwide as criminals. Yet, in spite of this, they find a way to always target criminals. They find the people who are hiding their crimes from the law, and expose them, allowing the police to handle all of the work that comes immediately after. To some, this is a form of justice; and in a way, that's correct." He paused, closing his eyes. "However, there is one thing that prevents them from being true heroes… and that is the clear bias that they have. After all, there is one criminal with a secret I know of- and the Phantom Thieves aren't even considering going after him." He opened his eyes, staring right into Sojiro, who was slowly backing away. "There's a man who takes care of the leader. He provides shelter and food for the leader, despite knowing that they are a wanted criminal. And, as such… this person, by extension, is also a criminal." He pointed towards Sojiro, an intense look forming in his eyes as his feet were planted to the ground. "That person… is you!"

"Me…!? What- what are you talking about? I don't know-"

"Enough of your lies! You've done nothing but support Akira Kurusu and his team of Phantom Thieves, regardless of the fact that he is a criminal!"

"Okay, enough! Who the hell are you!?"

"I… am the leader of the group who will bring true justice to this country. I will eliminate all those who stand with the Phantom Thieves by their own method of execution: mental shutdown." Sojiro's eyes widened in shock. A mental shutdown… that's what Futaba said actually happened to Wakaba. "Before night falls, you will suffer the consequences of your actions. You will feel the true terror of our team." He paused, before pulling his hand out of his pocket, revealing a purple and black calling card. "We are Killer Queen. We are going to remold this country and make it the crime-free utopia we all dream of, and we shall start by ending vermin like you!" He threw the calling card in Sojiro's direction and quickly made his way out of the cafe, running off to the train station. Sojiro wanted to chase him, but… he couldn't. He was intimidated, but still annoyed. But… there was nothing he could do about that. There was someone who could though… someone who could fix this.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

SOJIRO: Hey, I need to talk to you.

AKIRA: Sojiro…?

AKIRA: What happened to only saving girls' numbers in your phone?

SOJIRO: Pipe down! There's something I need to ask you.

AKIRA: What's up?

SOJIRO: Does "Killer Queen" mean anything to you?

"That's…!" Morgana's face had shock written all over it. "That's the name I gave to Toya and Makoto in the Metaverse… why does Sojiro mentioning it…!?" Akira and Morgana were incredibly confused, but they couldn't actually talk since they were in class still.

AKIRA: Yeah… I do.

AKIRA: Why?

SOJIRO: Some piece of shit kid just came in to the cafe.

SOJIRO: He said he was gonna give me a mental shutdown! Do you have any idea who he is!?

AKIRA: …

AKIRA: I need a description.

AKIRA: Was there ANYTHING that stood out about him?

SOJIRO: Stood out…?

SOJIRO: Yeah, actually.

SOJIRO: His eyes were purple… had a bandana of the same color.

AKIRA: …

AKIRA: I'll fix this.

SOJIRO: What the hell is going on!?

AKIRA: I have to tell everyone else first.

AKIRA: …We won't let anything happen to you. I promise.

AKIRA: Toya, what the hell are you doing!?

TOYA: So you already know.

TOYA: Here, I'll be nice.

TOYA: You have 15 minutes after school ends before we head into Mementos and find his Shadow.

AKIRA: What are you trying to accomplish…!?

AKIRA: Why Sojiro, of all people? What did _he_ ever do to you?

TOYA: You're getting on my nerves.

TOYA: Alright then. 10 minutes.

AKIRA: 10!?

TOYA: Clock is ticking fast.

TOYA: Better get ready to run.

AKIRA: …

AKIRA: Fine.

AKIRA: I really did try to see the good in you, Toya.

AKIRA: Just know that.

"Why is Toya doing this…?" Morgana was somewhat distraught. Out of everyone, he probably saw the most hope in Toya… but now all of a sudden, he was talking like an actual psychopath. Why this was… he didn't know, but he also couldn't afford to care right now. He had to be on the same page as everyone else. He looked towards Akira, who was genuinely angry now. This time… what Toya was doing couldn't be justified by any means.

AKIRA: We have a problem.

AKIRA: The biggest one by far.

YUSUKE: A problem?

AKECHI: I've heard nothing in the news recently that could be problematic...

FUTABA: Did something happen at school?

RYUJI: Nah, everything has been quiet here.

ANN: Yeah… but I noticed something. Toya's not here today.

AKIRA: I know where he is. That's the problem.

FUTABA: Toya again? I thought he was on our side now!

AKECHI: On your side now? What do you mean?

AKECHI: Did he oppose you once before?

RYUJI: Wait, we never told Akechi about him?

AKECHI: I'm surprised that there's something to say…

AKECHI: He told me he's never been to the Metaverse.

YUSUKE: I'm afraid that was a lie. He's had access for almost as long as our leader.

AKECHI: What!?

ANN: That mob boss Kaneshiro, and that SIU director…

ANN: We didn't change their hearts. That was Toya.

ANN: To top things off, he has a partner: Makoto Niijima.

AKECHI: What…!? Her, too!?

FUTABA: Their code names are Hazard and Queen.

AKECHI: But why would he lie to me…?

RYUJI: He doesn't trust anyone.

RYUJI: He even told us that he knows who the guy behind the mental shutdowns is, but he won't even tell us!

AKECHI: He would withhold such information…

AKECHI: I didn't necessarily think of Toya as a kind person, but that… that's just villainous.

AKIRA: Today, he did the worst thing he's done so far.

AKIRA: He just showed up at Leblanc and told Sojiro he was gonna kill him.

FUTABA: What!?

RYUJI: For real!? What the hell, man!?

ANN: We can't let him do anything to Sojiro! We have to stop him!

YUSUKE: I agree with that, but…

YUSUKE: How on earth do we go about that? Are we to give up on taking Sae Niijima's heart?

AKECHI: We can't do that. Which is why I propose that we split up.

AKECHI: I'd say… 3 of us go to Sae's Palace today, while the rest stop Toya from doing anything. What do you think?

FUTABA: We… might need more people to stop Toya.

FUTABA: We tried fighting against him once, but… even four of us together weren't enough to stop him and Makoto. We were outclassed…

RYUJI: We thought we had him beat at first, but… something changed about him when he was almost down.

ANN: I didn't actually get to see how exactly that happened. I was too busy with Makoto.

YUSUKE: It was absurd…

YUSUKE: He was acting similar to a true psychopath.

YUSUKE: In addition, he was infinitely stronger than before, and faster. He was far more than we could handle.

AKECHI: I see. How horrifying…

AKIRA: Two of us should be enough to deal with taking Sae's heart.

AKIRA: I'll go. Who's going to come with?

AKECHI: I volunteer.

ANN: Hold on, is that a good idea?

ANN: Akechi's still new to all of this…

AKECHI: Thank you for the concern, but I'll be fine.

AKECHI: Besides. The rest of you have gone against Toya before, haven't you?

AKECHI: You'll have a better chance against him now, won't you?

FUTABA: That's true…

FUTABA: Alright. The rest of us try to stop Toya?

AKIRA: He said he's going in to Mementos in 10 minutes after school ends to find Sojiro's Shadow.

AKIRA: As soon as classes are over, you all need to get to Shibuya as soon as possible.

AKIRA: Me and Akechi will head to the courthouse and take Sae's heart.

RYUJI: Alright…

RYUJI: That bastard… I'm not letting him get away this time!

ANN: Him and Makoto are going down.

AKECHI: Pardon the sudden question, but…

AKECHI: Your appearance in the Metaverse reflects the true self that resides within, correct?

AKECHI: What does Toya look like?

RYUJI: Oh, uhh…

YUSUKE: He wears a black armor with faded streaks of purple all over it. It's rather messy… perhaps that's a reflection of his psychotic mindset.

FUTABA: Don't forget about the gunblade!

AKECHI: ...I'm sorry, the _what?_

ANN: His weapon is a sword… but it's also a gun.

AKIRA: ...We don't know how it works either.

RYUJI: That doesn't matter anymore! The bell is gonna ring in a minute!

AKIRA: Okay. Everyone get ready.

Akira slowly put his phone in his pocket. Taking down Sae with only Akechi by his side… it wouldn't be easy. There was no other option, though. He couldn't let Sojiro die… he didn't deserve that. With a determined look on his face and a fire burning deep in his soul, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Shibuya Station**

MAKOTO: Are you in position yet?

TOYA: Yeah. I scouted around already.

TOYA: It'll be a straight shot right towards the end.

TOYA: What about you two? Are you ready to go in?

HARU: We're ready to go in as soon as we see one of them.

HARU: ...You two are sure this will work, right?

TOYA: Yeah, we are.

TOYA: You just need to buy time.

TOYA: I'll be able to wrap up my end of the plan if I don't have to worry about them.

HARU: I see them!

MAKOTO: We're going in.

MAKOTO: We can probably buy you an hour, at most.

TOYA: Got it. An hour is enough.

TOYA: Good luck, both of you.

MAKOTO: Right!

Makoto and Haru looked towards each other, nodding their heads before Makoto tapped a button on her phone, bringing the two of them into the cognitive world.

Meanwhile; the group of Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba all got off the train, running forward.

RYUJI: We're here with a minute to spare, but I don't see them anywhere!

AKIRA: You need to get in to Mementos, now!

AKIRA: There's not much time!

ANN: We're going in!

The five of them all grouped together, hiding from the crowd and then transferring into Mementos. There was no time for discussion, or time for preparing themselves… Sojiro's life was on the line.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Mementos**

The group quickly made their way into Mementos, and were instantly met by Makoto Niijima, one of the people they were looking for, and saw someone behind her.

"It took you all long enough. We were starting to get bored." Makoto glared at the group, an intense look on her face.

"Makoto..." Morgana slowly walked forward, a saddened look on his face. "Why are you doing this!? And Toya, why-"

"Toya? What are you talking about?" The person behind Makoto slowly walked in front of her, revealing herself to the Phantom Thieves.

"Haru…!?" Morgana took a step back. Of all people he expected to see here… Haru was one of the last.

"You said you were done in the Metaverse… why are you working with them!?" Ann yelled out at them, but they didn't even respond.

"Answer us, dammit! What are you gaining by working with psychopaths like him!?" Ryuji yelled even louder. He didn't have the patience for this, he just wanted to get his hands on Toya and stop him from doing something like this ever again. The two groups stared at each other, before suddenly, Makoto summoned her Persona, Anat, in the form of a bike. She and Haru both quickly got on top of it and drove off as fast as they could, leaving the Phantom Thieves in the dust.

"We can't let them get away! Mona, transform already!" Futaba commanded Morgana, as Morgana was still lost in thought. Seeing Makoto and Haru go against them after he was so sure that they were all good people… it hurt him, and clouded his mind with more doubt than ever before.

"We cannot wait any longer, Mona." Yusuke slowly walked toward Morgana, kneeling down in front of him. "I also don't want to believe that Haru has suddenly turned against us. But… we cannot afford to take that risk when someone's life is at stake. We must press onward, regardless of who they are." It took a moment, but… Yusuke's words slowly resonated in Morgana's mind. He quickly jumped into the air, transforming into a van and landing right in front of them.

"Let's move!" Morgana's voice was filled with more determination than ever, as everyone got inside of the van, with Ryuji taking the driver's seat. They all drove towards Makoto and Haru, who were speeding away.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Niijima's Palace (Manager's Area)**

"You sure know how to keep someone waiting, Phantom Thieves." Sae's Shadow appeared on a TV screen, looming over the entire room. "Though… I'm a bit surprised. Why is there only one of you? I don't recognize that outfit, either..." She stared at the single person, wearing a black set of armor with the color purple smeared all over it, who was facing away from her.

"Sorry, Sae. There aren't any Phantom Thieves here. Just me."

"That voice…!" Sae's eyes widened as she heard this voice. She knew exactly who this was, but… was that actually possible? Before she could even think of it, the young man she was looking at turned around, looking straight at her and taking off his mask. "Toya Kazero… how did you find your way here!?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Sae. Though… I have a lot of questions, too." Toya tilted his head, giving Sae a questioning look. "The hell is up with the gothic look? And, this Palace… you really think of the courthouse as some kind of a casino where everything is rigged? I knew there was some darkness going on in that head of yours, but… this is just ridiculous."

"I don't expect a stupid kid like you to understand what I've went through." Sae paused for a moment, looking down. "When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer from the bottom of my heart. Dying to uphold justice sounds virtuous, but the ones left behind have to clean up the mess! Can you imagine the hardships I had to endure!?"

"I can't imagine my head turning to something like this over that! Do you really think I don't know what it's like to lose people!? You don't even know half of my story!"

"You're such a foolish child if you mean to compare your loss to mine. Not to mention, I've still chased after my justice throughout all of this! I'll win to uphold that justice, no matter what!"

"Justice? You speak of nothing but self-righteous bullshit! How delusional are you to think that _any_ of what you're doing is right, when your head is something as horrible as this!?"

"All we need to do to determine who is right… is battle. That being said… why don't we begin?" With a snap of her fingers, the entire room started to shift around. The floor started to raise up around Toya, revealing a giant roulette wheel. Toya looked around at his surroundings… he couldn't believe his eyes. This was unlike anything he had ever seen.

"What the hell is this…!?"

"A clash of brute strength is simply uncalled for on this stage."

"I don't have time for your games right now, Sae! I'm ending this!"

"Oh you will. There is no room for negotiation. You will know soon enough." As she spoke, her body for a brief moment flashed into some kind of an armored monster. "Now… what will you do? Will you back away and stop trying to throw your life away…" Sae slowly raised her head, glaring at Toya. "Or will you fight and die, leaving all of the work to those above you… just like your brother did?" Something snapped in Toya's head as he heard Sae say that.

"You…" Toya grit his teeth, a look of fury visible in his eyes. "**YOU DON'T GET TO TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!**" Toya gripped his mask tightly, as a blue flame erupted around his face, with purple sparks flying off of the flame. In his other hand, his weapon materialized. With an outraged look on his face and a tight grip with both of his hands, he was more than ready to get the fight started, and begin the most important show of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeiga - Medium Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.
> 
> Anat  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Mafreila - Medium Nuclear damage to all foes.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Marakukaja - Buff party defense for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Counter - 10% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 59)  
Mafreidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to all foes.
> 
> Orpheus-Picaro  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cadenza - Restore 50% HP of party.  
Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.
> 
> Izanagi-Picaro  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cross Slash - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe 2x, high accuracy.  
Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Maziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to all foes.  
Marakukaja - Increase party's Defense for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 59)  
Wild Thunder - Severe Electric damage to all foes.
> 
> Arsene  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Negative Pile - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Abyssal Wings - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Masukunda - Decrease all foes' Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 60)  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Seiten Taisei  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Mazionga - Medium Electric damage to all foes.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Deathbound - Medium Physical damage to all foes 1x to 2x.  
Tarukaja - Buff attack power of 1 ally for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 55)  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Zorro  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Garudyne - Heavy Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Magarule - Medium Wind damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Mediarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of party.  
Masukunda - Debuff agility of all foes for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.
> 
> Hecate  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Diarama - Restore Medium amount of HP of 1 ally.  
Matarunda - Debuff attack power of all foes for 3 turns.  
Dekaja - Negate all buff effects of all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 57)  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.
> 
> Kamu Susano-o  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Bufudyne - Heavy Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Mabufala - Medium Ice damage to all foes.  
Deadly Fury - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting a physical attack.  
Masukukaja - Buff party agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting a physical attack.
> 
> Milady  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Psiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Mapsio - Medium Psy damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3x.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to 1 foe. High Critical Rate.
> 
> Robin Hood  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Kougaon - Heavy Bless damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Megidola - Heavy Almighty damage to all foes.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	50. The Ultimate Show (2 of 5)

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Niijima's Palace (Manager's Area)**

"Let's do this fair and square!" Sae spoke while staring right at Toya, who was still infuriated by her comment about Ken.

"What? No transformation? Do you really intend on fighting me like that?" Toya was genuinely surprised. Up until now, he had always fought against Shadows who would transform, aside from his bouts against the Phantom Thieves. However, they weren't cognitive beings… unlike Sae's Shadow.

"As I said, there is no need for a clash of brute strength. We'll play by _my_ rules." Sae tipped her hat and pointed forward, as the words "Bet HP" flashed on the TV screen behind her. Then, the roulette wheel around them started spinning around, with a ball moving around the entire wheel in the opposite direction.

"What the hell is this…!?"

"Now, let us play a game of roulette. The stakes will be… our lives. Of course, acts of violence are forbidden here. One must follow the rules."

"Damn it, I'm not playing your stupid games! You and your rules can go to hell for all I care!"

"That's fine by me. Such troublesome people will just face the penalty…" Toya stopped to think for a moment. A penalty for not spinning… so he was forced to play by the rules, otherwise the fight would be fixed in her favor? He wasn't entirely sure how that was going to work, but… it was something to keep in mind. "You will predict which pocket the ball will fall into. Now, the time has come for our first round. Choose where you will place your bet!"

"That ball is gonna fly right into your face. That's the bet I'm making!" Toya pointed towards Sae, an angry look on his face. However, behind that angry demeanor, there was a thoughtful mind. Toya had a plan for this… he could still turn this around in his favor, even if it was rigged to go against him.

"So you refuse to bet. Very well, then I shall place your bet for you. Your bet shall fall within pockets 25 through 36. Now, let's see the results!" The two of them focused on the ball as it spun around, with Sae having a grin on her face. She was prepared to win like this… it would be easy. The ball moved around the wheel, before momentarily stopping on top of the pocket with a red 34 behind it. However, instead of falling into the pocket, it slowly began moving into the pocket right next to it, the black 15. Toya expected something like this… and he was waiting to see something like that. Just before the ball fell into place, his hookshot came flying out of his gauntlet, attaching to the ball and stopping it from falling into the pocket. "Wh-What!? What are you doing!?"

"I'm staying true to my bet. This ball… is going straight into that ugly face of yours!" He pulled the ball with his hookshot and spun it around, before smashing it against Sae's face, causing her to fall to the ground.

"WH- WHAT!?" Sae pulled herself up just enough to rest on her knees, glaring at Toya, who was now looming above her with a menacing look on his face, pointing his gunblade at her.

"Fair and square? Bullshit! I saw right through your cheating!" Toya gripped his mask tightly and threw it straight up into the air, summoning his Persona behind him. Snapping his fingers, Diabolos turned around as its arms morphed into the shape of guns, firing away at the glass panel that stopped the ball from falling into its intended pocket. He caught his mask and put it back on, still looking at Sae. She began to grunt in pain as trying to stand up, her pride completely shattered. "What? You're just gonna sit there? What happened to all that talk about how you're going to uphold that so called 'justice' of yours!?"

"Shut up… **SHUT UUUP!**" A black mist surrounded Sae's body, as she suddenly transformed, letting out a blood curdling roar. Her body turned massive and she was wearing spiked armor. In one of her hands, she was holding a massive blade, and her other one was covered by a massive gatling gun. Not only that, but there were stains of blood all over her. "**Cheating!? Unfair!? Silence! This is MY world! If you want a fair fight, then to hell with the game! I'll crush you by force. Fair and square, just as you like!"**

"So this is who you really are… how repulsive." Toya spun his blade around, staring right into Sae's eyes through the helmet on her head.

"**I've had enough of your smart mouth, Toya. You… YOU WILL DIE ON MY BLADE!" **She rushed forward, as Toya grit his teeth. He gripped his blade tighter and rushed in, ready to fight against her. They both swung their blades, steel crashing against steel as they tried pushing against each other. However, with her transformation, Sae was infinitely stronger than him. Knowing he wouldn't win with brute strength alone, Toya quickly pulled off his mask to summon his Persona again. He charged up a powerful blast of dark magic, and fired at Sae's body, pushing her back and allowing Toya to rush in, trying to strike at her. However, her armor was far too strong for him to just cut through. He did damage, but… it was nowhere near enough to take her down. Suddenly, she raised her gun and aimed at Toya, opening fire in his general direction. Toya dodged to the side and jumped around the room, using his hookshot to quickly maneuver around the environment. This was starting to get more and more dangerous for Toya… with every passing second, Sae was getting more reckless, and she was infinitely stronger than anything Toy had dealt with beforehand. He had to keep a rational approach to things… he was still much faster than she was, and he still had his Persona to use. It would be a drawn out fight for sure, but… by no means was it impossible. There was so much on the line here… this entire plan depended on Toya being able to do this himself.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Meanwhile, in Mementos, the Phantom Thieves still chasing after Makoto and Haru as they rushed through Mementos with their respective vehicles. Makoto was driving faster than the Phantom Thieves could, causing her to create more and more distance by the second.

"Dammit! Isn't there any way for you to go faster, Mona!?" Ryuji yelled, while sitting in the driver's seat. He wanted to catch them more than anyone else did, and they all knew that."

"There's no way for me to speed myself up! Not only that, but I can't summon my Persona when I'm in this form!"

"...That's it!" An idea suddenly struck Futaba. She opened the door and took her mask off, jumping out of the van and ascending up into her Persona.

"Oracle! What are you doing!?" Morgana yelled out to her while Yusuke went to close the door. Then, suddenly, a green aura surrounded the van, speeding it up enough to begin closing the distance between them.

"Hell yeah! Keep that up and we'll have them in no time, Oracle!" Ryuji grinned as they started going tremendously faster, but it wasn't enough just yet. Makoto and Haru were still going just a bit faster than they were, but there was hope now. They had an actual chance of catching up to them, but there was still work to be done.

"Very well. It's my turn to help!" Yusuke opened the door once more and quickly made his way on top of the van, staring at Haru, who was looking back at him. "If you wish to go against us after we tried supporting you, then I'll be sure to turn every bit of our hospitality into force!" Yusuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before looking towards the wall next to him. He grit his teeth and jumped towards it, but just before colliding, he kicked the wall to bounce off of it, sending him even further into the air and into the opposite direction, landing directly on top of Futaba's Persona.

"Whoa! Inari, why the hell did you jump up here!? Are you insane!?"

"Oracle, I need you to give me a good vantage point!" Yusuke materialized his gun in his hands, taking aim at the bike. "I'll shoot them down from afar!"

"Got it!" Futaba's Persona began moving around in the air, giving Yusuke the perfect angle. Without any hesitation, he pulled the trigger and unloaded, aiming for the wheels of Makoto's Persona.

"Milady!" Haru quickly summoned her Persona, casting a physical barrier that sent the bullets flying away. The bullets were reflected in such a way that they didn't hit anyone, almost like she was intentionally trying to miss. But even with this, the Phantom Thieves couldn't pay much mind to it. Sojiro's life was far more important than anything else at the moment.

"This isn't working…" Yusuke tried shooting a few more times, but it became clear that Haru's barrier would be able to reflect every single bullet. He put his gun down to his side for a moment and tried thinking of a better idea.

"I'm handling this." There was a strong conviction and determination in Ann's voice, as she left the van and got on top of it, crouching down and facing away from everyone.

"Panther!? What the hell are you doing up there!?" Ryuji yelled out to her, as he kept trying to drive without Ann falling off.

"I'm letting loose! Dance, Hecate!" Ripping off her mask, Ann unleashed a massive blast of fire magic, headed straight for them. Haru grit her teeth and focused, as she created a magic barrier, negating the attack entirely.

"She won't be able to use both of those barriers at once! Panther, Fox, both of you attack at the same time!" Morgana commended them. He still felt bad about this, but… there was no other option. Ann and Yusuke looked at each other and nodded, before preparing to attack at the same time. Morgana was right… Haru couldn't possibly use both barriers at once. However, if she couldn't block the attacks… she could stop them from ever attacking in the first place. In preparation for this chase, she had went to train with both Toya and Makoto on a near daily basis. While they were training, she learned a few tricks from them… ones that would come in handy right now. She put her mask back on and materialized her grenade launcher in her hands, adrenaline rushing through her mind. However, instead of firing at the Phantom Thieves, she quickly aimed upwards and fired at the ceiling, causing rubble to collapse on the path in between them.

"Shit! Hold on, Panther!" Ryuji desperately tried stopping the car, slightly turning around as Ann kneeled down to keep her balance. The van came to a stop at the very last second, with Yusuke and Futaba coming down towards the rest of the team. They all looked above the rubble, getting another look at Haru. She tipped her hat, hiding her eyes away from the group and then turning around, sitting back down as Makoto drove off, avoiding ever getting in contact with them.

"Damn it! They got away AGAIN!" Ann pounded her fist against the wall in frustration. She was so close… so close to getting to Makoto- to getting revenge for Shiho.

"Hey, stay focused! We can still catch up to them!" Morgana reverted to his regular cat form and jumped over the rubble, turning back into a van. "Failure isn't an option! Let's get moving!"

"Right!" Everyone yelled out in response as they hopped over the rubble and quickly entered the van again, driving off after the two of them again.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Niijima's Palace (Manager's Area)**

"**As long as I can win… that's all that matters…" **Sae began to breathe heavily. She wasn't able to catch up to Toya with her regular attacks, she had to do something different. She had to use an attack that Toya couldn't possibly dodge, no matter how hard he tried. She let out another roar, as a black and red aura surrounded her.

"You're still not done? Give it up already, damn it! All you're accomplishing is hurting yourself!"

"**Who gives a damn about the pain!? WINNING IS ALL THAT MATTERS!" **Sae suddenly jumped into the air, taking aim at Toya with her gun and opening fire. Toya jumped around to dodge all of the bullets, getting out unscathed. However, when he looked into the air, he suddenly saw rockets flying through the air, headed for the floor directly behind him. His body moved as fast as his mind could think, instinctively jumping forward to get out of the range of the rockets as they exploded upon collision with the ground. However, it wasn't until after dodging that Toya realized the real danger he was in. He looked up at Sae, who was slamming her blade right for Toya's head. He rolled out of the way, but as he did, a massive purple explosion came from the ground where Sae's blade slammed into. The explosion was enough to send Toya flying through the air, colliding with the wall and bouncing off of it, wincing in pain as his body fell to the ground. He coughed and tried picking himself up, but his body felt so weak… that attack was far more powerful than anything he had ever seen- even stronger than the attacks that Ishida had used against him. He began to breathe heavily, gritting his teeth while looking up at Sae, who pointed her gun towards him.

"Y-You think this is over…?" Toya found the strength to pick himself up, struggling to keep his balance as his arms laid limp at his sides for a moment. "I have a job to do… I was entrusted to do this… **I'm not going to give in and die without completing it!" **A purple flame erupted on Toya's face. He felt the hunger within him growing… and he didn't feel as if he could afford resisting it. He lifted one hand up, gripping his mask as tight as he could.

"_Please… help…" _

Toya's eyes widened in shock, as he heard something.

"_The only one… potential…" _

That voice… it was back, once again.

"_Save The… untimely demise…"_

He still didn't understand who he was supposed to save.

"_Unlock… secret of The…"_

He didn't understand what secret he was supposed to unlock, either.

"_darkness… inside of you…"_

The darkness… inside of him…?

"_Defy… demons who… control…"_

The darkness inside… demons who… control…?

"_Overwhelming power… Hunger…"_

Hunger… suddenly, Toya remembered something he was told many months ago.

* * *

_Mephisto: "_ _ **Now… give in to that primal fury! Break the chains of your own heart… and show the world the true power of Hunger!"** _

* * *

Everything suddenly made sense in his head… this darkness he's been asked to resist… is Mephisto. He still didn't understand everything, but… he had to trust this voice, no matter what it may be. He slowly let go of his mask, as the purple flame died down on his face.

"Sae… you gave up who you were for power. Everything that defined you as an individual… you gave it all up, just so you could be stronger. Just so you could _win._" Toya stood up straight, still breathing just as heavily while staring straight at her. "I'll show you just how wrong you are… by defeating you just the way I am, and without sacrificing my identity!" A blue flame erupted around Toya as he grit his teeth, a fiery determination burning within him.

"**Don't you dare start to lecture me! This game has already ended, and I am the sole victor!" **

"Game…? What a perfect choice of words." Toya smirked, extending one of his arms out. "If you won this so called 'game'... then you better be ready for the next round to begin!" Suddenly, Toya's hookshot came flying out of his gauntlet, but instead of hitting Sae, it hit the giant ball that was being used on the roulette wheel. Toya swung the ball around in the air a few times while it was stuck to his hookshot, before letting it go on the wheel, allowing it to spin around. Once the ball started to spin, the wheel started spinning in the opposite direction, and the words "Bet HP" appeared on the massive screen in the room.

"**What…!? What are you doing!?"**

"I'm betting everything on this one chance! I'll bet my entire life that this ball will find its way into one of the black pockets!" Toya's look was more determined than Sae had ever seen, and it was starting to anger Sae.

"**You stupid, stupid child! What does this game do for you!?"**

"This game serves as a reminder for who I am, and who my brother was!" Toya took off his mask, summoning his Persona directly behind him. "My brother died to put me on the path of true justice. He gave his life so that I could change the hearts of the corrupted, and fix the true problems of society! What have _you_ done!?"

"**What…!? What are you trying to imply!?"**

"I'm implying that while my brother put me on a path, you've done nothing but neglect your sister when put in the same position! Even in death, Ken does more for me than you've EVER done for Makoto." Toya materialized his gunblade in his hands, pointing straight at Sae. "You have failed! As both a sibling, _AND_ a guardian!"

"**SHUT UP! YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" **In a fit of rage, Sae unleashed a blast of magic on Toya, pushing him back, but he didn't fall down. Instead, he began to laugh. "**What is it now!? What's so funny this time!?" **

"What's funny… is that my plan worked. You took the bait!" Toya pointed right at Sae, a condescending aura surrounding him. "Look around you! In your fit of rage, you forgot your own rules and attacked while the roulette wheel was still spinning!" Sae let out a gasp, and her posture changed from angered to shocked. "Now… face the penalty for your acts of violence!" Sae looked up, as dozens of poker chips rained down from the sky, bombarding her. She fell down to her knees, not expecting to suddenly take so much damage.

"**You little…!" **Sae desperately tried picking herself up, breathing heavily. "**I… I need to win… I will…!"**

"It's too late, Sae. This game had already ended." Without saying another word, Toya looked at the ball that was spinning around the roulette wheel, and watched it fall into a black pocket, just as he predicted. Sae's eyes widened, and she was left absolutely speechless. She stayed still, and felt the rest of her health get drained out of her.

"**I… I…!" **A black mist surrounded her once more as she fell over completely, her body reverting to its original form. "So I've lost…" Toya slowly walked over to Sae, kneeling down in front of her.

"What happened to you, Sae? How did your grief turn into… this…?" Toya's voice became much more somber, as he stared at Sae.

"Everything you said… it's all true. My father's death… it had a devastating impact on me. As a result… I turned into a failure. I failed as a sibling… and as a guardian."

"Come on, Sae. You know that through your flaws… Makoto still cherishes you." Toya closed his eyes. Makoto cared about Sae so much, more than he could ever put into words.

"Toya… that's… not what I meant."

"Huh…?"

"When I said that I failed as a guardian… I didn't mean as Makoto's. No… I failed as yours." Toya's eyes opened as she spoke.

"Wait… what…!? Sae, are you…"

"When you moved in with Ken, he wanted nothing more than for you to be safe if something were to ever happen to him. And so, he made the person he trusted most promise that she would take care of you. That person… was me." Sae's eyes panned away from Toya's, as the guilt began to eat away at her. A tear slowly fell from one of her eyes, and dropped onto the floor.

"Sae…" Toya didn't know what to say at first. He slowly lifted one hand up, pressing it against her shoulder. "Ken wouldn't want you to cry about it, you know. He wouldn't even be mad at you." Sae slowly looked up at Toya, her eyes still ever so slightly watery. "He would want you to make the most out of whatever's left, no matter how badly things went. So, even if you think what you did was horrible… I forgive you, for everything."

"...You really are just like him. So serious in the moment, so dedicated to what you want… but caring when the time comes. Even when you have no reason to be." Sae slowly picked herself up, looking at Toya.

"Once we're all wrapped up here, and you return to the real world… let's start over. Let's do things right this time."

"...Very well. Thank you..." Sae closed her eyes, as her body slowly began to fade, disappearing into thin air and returning to the real world. In her place… a small notebook was left over. It had the word "Niijima" written on it, with nothing else. He would have skimmed through and checked the pages of any other notebook, but… it felt wrong. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and stretching. He did it… he completely his part of the mission, and didn't even need to summon Mephisto. As far as he was concerned… this was a job well done.

"What the- what the hell are you doing here!?" Then, all of a sudden, the moment of pride came to an immediate stop. He slowly turned around and met eyes with two people he knew far too well. Akira Kurusu, the leader of the Phantom Thieves; as well as Goro Akechi, the psychopath who hides his true face from the entire world.


	51. The Ultimate Show (3 of 5)

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Niijima's Palace (Manager's Area)**

When their eyes met, there was nothing but a silent tension in the atmosphere, filling the entire room.

"I'll admit, part of me expected you to split up. However… I'm a bit surprised that you're here, Akira. I was sure you cared too much about Sojiro to come here instead." Toya looked towards the wall, firing his hookshot towards it and dragging himself up to it, staying against it while looking at the other two, who ran towards him.

"So, they were telling the truth… you're the one who lied to me." There was a bit of pain audible in Akechi's voice, but… Toya knew the truth.

"My lord, Akechi. You look like enough of a dork in the real world. That mask is just insult to injury…"

"What are you trying to accomplish with killing Sojiro? Why are you bringing him into this!?" Akira yelled, the frustration being more than evident in his voice.

"Please. You couldn't understand my plan only knowing the things you know." Toya looked towards the TV screen, firing his hookshot towards the top of it and kneeling down on it, causing Akira and Akechi to run towards him once more. "If you knew the things that I knew… if you had the thoughts that I had… you'd be thanking me for this." Toya spoke, while staring at Akechi, a malicious tone in his voice. Akechi could only suspect things before, but… he was sure now. Toya _had_ to know the truth about him, somehow.

"Do you have no intention on fighting us? We can easily shoot you down from there." Akechi looked Toya, taking his ray gun out and pointing it towards him.

"Oh, I don't plan on staying up here. I was just waiting for you two to be idiots. As expected… it didn't take very long." With a smirk, Toya suddenly fired his hookshot at the ceiling, bringing him towards it and then shooting down towards the elevator, landing right in front of it. He quickly turned around and fired at the notebook, bringing it towards him and getting inside the elevator, pressing the button to descend. The elevator doors began closing as the notebook was pulled in. "See you around."

"Get back here!" Akira tried running towards the elevator, but he wasn't fast enough. The door closed before he could reach it. He tried calling the elevator back, but it wouldn't come back until Toya got off. "Damn it…!"

"We have no choice then." Akechi started walking towards Akira. "When the elevator comes back, I'll explore the rest of the casino to make sure he's not hiding. You check the outside to make sure he's not running away."

"Got it!" The two waited for a moment, before the elevator came back up. Akechi began to laugh in his head… he was proud of what he did. Akira was falling right into the trap… he wanted to get multiple members of the Phantom Thieves if at all possible, but their leader was more than enough for him to be satisfied. Though, there was still the matter of Toya… he had to deal with him by the end of the night as well. That could wait, though. For now… he had to settle on Toya running free, for now.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

After stalling for as long as they possibly could, Makoto and Haru finally came to a dead end. Makoto slowly withdrew her Persona as the two of them stretched for a bit.

"Do you think we bought him enough time…?" Haru asked nervously. Makoto took out her phone in response, checking the time.

"It's dark outside by now. We definitely bought him enough time."

"I'm still nervous… do you think he was able to handle his half of the deal?"

"I'm scared too, but… I trust him. He's always pulled through for us, after all. There's no way he would allow himself to fail now…" Makoto hid a lot of her concern. Truthfully… she was more worried about her sister than Toya. She knew that Toya could handle himself, but… she also knew he had a dark side. He could get out of control at times… and if he went unchecked, he could completely lose it. He tried not to lose his temper, and he's never killed before, but… it was still scary to think about. Before she could get too lost in thought, the sound of tires began to close in on her and Haru. "It's time to do our part. You ready?"

"I am." Haru spoke a bit nervously, as the Phantom Thieves finally got to the same room as them.

"Wait, what? They stopped?" Futaba stared through the window, getting a better view of Makoto and Haru. They weren't even moving much… they just stood there, waiting.

"Who cares? This is our chance!" Ryuji quickly opened the door, jumping out of the van.

"Skull! Do you insist on just rushing into them!?" Yusuke called out to him, but he didn't even respond. Mere seconds later, Ann followed right behind Ryuji. "Panther too…?" Yusuke was doubtful. They had to be up to something… and that made him nervous. But he couldn't just watch them go in alone. He got out of the van and stood next to them, with Futaba following behind him. Morgana reverted back into his regular cat form, slowly walking up to them.

"Well? Are you finally done running away?" Ann's fierce gaze pierced right through them, specifically directed at Makoto.

"Yes. We've done everything we could do here in terms of our goal." Makoto spoke calmly, and all of the Phantom Thieves took a step back in shock.

"In terms of your goal...? Then, Sojiro is…" Futaba began to tremble in fear. She couldn't believe what she was hearing…

"He's perfectly fine." Haru's naturally optimistic voice caught everyone off guard, causing the room to get… awkwardly quiet for a bit.

"...I beg your pardon?" Yusuke was the first to break the silence.

"We didn't actually come here to harm him. If we did, we wouldn't have sent the calling card. Shadows appear in Mementos without them, after all." Makoto explained, leaving them rather… dumbfounded. "The only reason there was a calling card was so we could draw your attention."

"Wait, if you're not trying to hurt Sojiro… why are you even here? What could you have even accomplished while stalling us?" Morgana felt an incomprehensible amount of emotions, but… the one that was stronger than all of the rest was definitely confusion.

"That _is_ what our goal was. We wanted to stall you all, so that way, my father's murderer wouldn't enter Sae's Palace."

"Y-Your father's murderer!? But… I thought you believed us!" Futaba was a bit distraught. She was sure that the person who killed Okumura was the same who killed her mother… so there's no way it could be a Phantom Thief that killed her dad.

"We do believe you. Nobody who was on your team at the time of Okumura's death killed him. But… then you entered my sister's Palace with a new teammate."

"New teammate…?" Ann processed it for a second, and then gasped. "Wait… you mean Akechi!?"

"For real!? You're telling us Akechi is the guy causing mental shutdowns!?" Ryuji was especially shocked. He didn't like Akechi by any means, but… for him to be a killer? That didn't make any sense to him at all.

"Follow me. I'll show you what I mean in the real world." Makoto summoned her Persona once again, mounting on top of it with Haru getting on behind her. "Meet us at the diner. It's only a few minutes away from the station."

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Niijima's Palace (Casino Entrance)**

Akira got outside as fast as he could. He tried looking for Toya, but it was so dark outside at this point. But then, all of a sudden, there was a bright light, shining directly towards him. Then there was another, and another, to the point where it was nearly blinding him. He got a decent look at where the light was coming from… it was police officers. They didn't look like Shadows either, they were real people. But… that was impossible, this was the Metaverse. Regardless of how cops could have gotten there… it didn't matter. He made a break for it, running away and finding a ladder to climb up. However, as soon as he got to the top… he noticed that there were more, waiting for him there. His eyes widened in shock, before the blunt side of a gun hit him, knocking him off of the ladder and into the massive crowd of officers, who pinned him down to the ground.

"Didn't expect to find some kid." One of the officers who seemed to be in charge slowly walked towards Akira, looking down on him. "You have your teammate to thank for this." He slowly kneeled down, gripping Akira by his hair. "You were sold out." Those words ripped right through Akira's soul. Sold out… how? Who could possibly sell him out to the police?

"Hey!" Someone yelled from outside of the crowd. Various officers turned their heads, only to see someone who looked around the same age as Akira, wearing a black mask. "Get the hell away from him!" Akira recognized this voice… that was Toya.

"Another one?" The one in charge slowly stood up, staring straight at the black masked figure. "Take him down!" He commanded, pointing towards him. Officers started rushing towards him as soon as they were commanded to, prepared to capture this new suspect.

"Diabolos!" Gripping his mask tightly, Toya summoned his Persona in front of the officers. They stopped in their tracks as they saw it… the massive, formless shadow loomed over them, sending chills down their spine. Toya snapped his fingers, and then suddenly, the fear that had ripped into the officers multiplied. Their legs trembled as they all started taking steps back, as Toya walked forward. He materialized his gunblade into the air and started shooting at the sky, further intimidating the officers, to the point where they all rushed away in fear, even the one that was pinning Akira down.

"You…" Akira slowly got up, staring at Toya.

"We'll talk about whatever you're thinking in a minute." Toya looked around, seeing a building that wasn't too far away from them. He prepared his hookshot to fly straight at it, before hearing the sound of footsteps. The officers were already snapping out of their fear and rushing towards them. "We can't stay here. You coming or what?" Akira looked back to the officers who were quickly approaching them, before reluctantly grabbing Toya's hand. He fired his hookshot and carried the two of them away. The officers tried chasing after them, but they couldn't possibly reach them as they went through the air. They reached the top of the building, taking cover and getting out of the police's line of sight.

"I don't get it. How are there actual people here?"

"You haven't put the pieces together yet?" Toya sighed, looking over at the police officers, who were all talking on radios, trying to find where the two of them went.

"You need to start explaining things already. Sending Sojiro a calling card, then showing up here instead? What are you trying to do?"

"I was trying to stop the killer from coming here. If he killed Okumura… who's to say he won't do the same to Sae? I wasn't gonna take that risk."

"Then why are you trying to distract us? What do _we_ have to do with the killer?"

"Seriously, are you _that_ dense? One of those cops even said that one of your teammates sold you out. This isn't rocket science, it's a children's puzzle board." Toya sighed, hanging his head down for a moment. "It's Akechi. He's the one who's been killing people."

"What…!? How can you be so sure?"

"A few months ago, our class went on a trip to that TV station. I was walking around with Akechi for a bit, and we ended up walking by you and your group of friends. Morgana said something about pancakes, and Akechi instantly asked me if I heard it, then practically ran towards the nearest pancake place. If he's able to hear Morgana, then…"

"...then he's had access to the Metaverse for much longer than just a month or two. But… that doesn't mean he's evil."

"He has a Palace as well."

"You're kidding…"

"No, I'm not. I haven't figured out his keywords yet, but he's definitely up to something." Toya looked back down towards where the police officers were, but they were all gone. "The coast is clear. Come on. Everyone should be in Shibuya waiting for us."

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya (Diner)**

"For real!? Y-You're telling me he's had a Palace this entire time!?"

"Ryuji! Pipe down!" Ann scolded Ryuji, before looking back towards Makoto. "If he's evil, then… why is he trying to help us?"

"We don't know for sure. We assumed he was going to kill my sister and push her death on you, and then proceed to leak the evidence to get you all arrested."

"Such an intricate plan… but it doesn't make sense. Couldn't he have just exposed us right away if he wanted to?" Yusuke asked, looking down.

"He could have. We're not sure why exactly he's waiting, but…" Haru took her phone out, quickly typing Akechi's name into the Nav.

"Match found."

"Is this enough proof for you?"

"I mean… if you don't trust Akechi because he has a Palace, then… why do you trust Toya?" Futaba asked Makoto, but the question put Makoto into a state of shock.

"W...what? W-What do you mean?"

"Wait… he never told you…?" Ann was just as surprised. She was under the impression that everyone knew about Toya's Palace.

"N-No! You're just… joking, right?" Makoto took out her phone, quickly opening the Nav and frantically typing in Toya's name. "He's not perfect by any means, but he-"

"Match found." Silence. Makoto blankly stared at her phone for a moment. Memories of her time spent with Toya rushed through her mind. When Toya saved her from Kaneshiro, when they went to the movies together… all the times where Toya was willing to go out of his way for her. Yet at the same time, he did something as big as this from her…

"I… I need to use the restroom." Makoto quickly got out of her seat and went on her way, being sure to hide her face.

"Huh? Hey, wai-"

"Let her go, Ann. She probably needs the time alone…" Haru watched Makoto as she made her way away from the table without making another sound. The pain in her voice was genuine… it was the kind where you could just feel her pain just by hearing her voice.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station **

Toya and Akira made their way out of the station, walking up towards Central Street. At this point, Akira didn't necessarily _trust_ Toya, but… what he said was making a lot of sense. Not only that, but Toya could have just watched Akira get arrested if he was really the enemy. All signs pointed towards Akechi being the bad guy… as hard as it was for him to believe.

"Well, isn't this quite the surprise." Toya and Akira heard a voice they both recognized from behind. They slowly turned around, only to be met with the person they had been talking since they left Sae's Palace.

"You made it out unscathed. I can't say I'm too surprised at that." Toya glared at Akechi. At this point… there was no point being subtle anymore. It was time to come clean about everything. "Say, there's something I think you'll want to hear. Something pretty important."

"Oh? What is it?"

"We shouldn't talk about it here. I have a much better place for us to discuss this."

"A better place to discuss this? What are you ta-" While Akechi was talking, a powerful headache suddenly came over him, as the reality around him began to drastically change.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

The three of them were all brought into Mementos, with Toya and Akira staring right into Akechi. Akechi quickly processed everything that was happening. He attempted to speak, but just as he opened his mouth, Toya rushed forward and smashed his fist against him, pushing him back and causing him to lose his balance.

"I've been waiting to do that for a long time now." Toya glared angrily at Akechi, clenching his fists tightly. You know, ever since you killed my brother." Akechi coughed up a bit of blood and slowly picked himself up, staring at Toya.

"Akechi… why? Why did you do all of this!? What are you gaining out of killing all of these people…!?"

"You could never understand my reasoning… neither of you." There was no point in trying to keep a secret anymore. Everything had already gone against his plan… he had no choice but to just go with it. He had one idea left though… there was one way he could turn this situation on its head. "Who cares about the murders? My targets were all doing the same damn thing in this eat or be eaten world. All I did was remove their evil from society. How is that any different from the Phantom Thieves?"

"We're giving people a chance to reform, not killing them!"

"So what!? You're all doing the same thing as me at the end of the day. You're just as evil as you think I am!"

"Bullshit!" Toya materialized his blade in his hands and pointed it at Akechi. "This argument is meaningless. No words are gonna save you now!"

"I agree. There is no need to speak any longer." Akechi slowly took off his mask, a red flame burning around him.

"We need to be careful." Akira materialized his knife in his hands and stood by Toya's side. "If he's the killer… I doubt I've seen even half of his power."

"I'll tell you all about my true power… while you die. You can take that knowledge with you to the grave." Akechi started to laugh. It was time for his last ditch effort… and this was the perfect opportunity for him. He could kill Akira like he was originally going to, and he could also finish off Toya. "Though… I'm sure you'll recognize this power right away, Toya. Judging by what I heard earlier today from the Phantom Thieves… I'm sure you're more than familiar with it."

"The hell are you talking about!?" Toya yelled, which only made Akechi laugh even more.

"Allow me to show you!" The red flame burned even brighter around him, as a Persona appeared behind him. It was striped black and white, and had a massive red blade in front of it. "LOKI!"

"Loki…!? But… his Persona is Robin Hood!"

"What…!? You're telling me he has two Personas!?" Toya was shocked. The only other person he knew with multiple Personas… was himself. Suddenly, the blade in front of Loki began spinning in place, before pointing towards the two of them. Then, suddenly, Toya heard Akira wincing in pain. He turned around to see Akira gripping his head, screaming in agony. "Akira…!?" He turned to Akechi, who was smirking more devilishly than ever. "What the hell are you doing to him!?"

"The mental shutdowns aren't the only incidents people are talking about. There are also the breakdowns which cause people to go psychotic, creating accidents and scandals. Those cannot be explained unless the true culprit has the power to make people's hearts psychotic…"

"The power to make people's hearts psychotic…?" Toya suddenly had a moment of realization. The unusually colored flame, the lanky limbs of Loki, and the way he talked about turning people's hearts psychotic… it was just like Mephisto. "You can't possibly mean…!"

"That's right! It's my power- one I'm sure you're familiar with!" Akira screamed out in pain as he felt his mind breaking apart. Toya turned towards him, seeing the red flame begin burning around him.

"Fight against it! Don't let that asshole take control of you!"

"Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains on its heart are broken… I can only imagine what it's like when someone as powerful as him undergoes the same process. You'd better not underestimate him." Akechi slowly jumped back, away from Toya. Toya went to chase after him, but when he did, he heard something. The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the room, as he felt something graze against his cheek, drawing blood before continuing throughout the room.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Toya heard a demented voice from behind him. He slowly turned around to see Akira, holding on to his head with one hand while looking down, with a gun in his other hand.

"Akira…!" Akira slowly raised his head and stared at Toya. His eyes were bloodshot and his body involuntarily twitched with every passing moment.

"Now, prepare yourself…" The red flame around him only grew in intensity, as he started to laugh maniacally. "**Your final act is upon you!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turning the leader of the Phantom Thieves psychotic is either the greatest idea I've ever had, or the worst idea I've ever had. There's no inbetween.


	52. The Ultimate Show (4 of 5)

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

"Ahaha… I've never felt like this before!" Akira's laughter was absolutely twisted, his voice was demented and he ran his hands over his face.

"Akira, you have to fight against that! Don't let him control your head!"

"Control me? No, nobody is controlling me… for the first time in so long… I'm FREE!"

"You're not free at all! You're being mind controlled!"

"I've been labeled as a criminal… my own PARENTS got rid of me because they thought I was a problem! And now, I'm put into this new environment where EVERYONE thinks I'm some kind of murderer!" Akira's voice was strained, with a sudden anger plastered over his face. "I risk my LIFE on a regular basis, going into this abhorrent world of cognition to try and fix this world… and even doing THIS, they STILL THINK I'M SOME KIND OF A CRIMINAL! Even in my DREAMS, **I'M STILL A PRISONER OF THIS GOD FORSAKEN SOCIETY!**" The red flame around Akira rose with his voice, raging around him and exuding a powerful aura. None of this was right… Toya had never seen anything like this out of Akira. He was a different person… he was an angry soul, who wanted revenge. This is what Akechi was capable of…

"Stop believing that! Damn it, are you even listening to yourself!? You know this isn't you!"

"I've had enough of your condescending tone…! **YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"** Akira's knife materialized in his hand as he rushed towards Toya, jumping into the air and slicing down towards him. Toya dodged out of the way, backing away and dodging left and right as Akira relentlessly attacked him, slashing and stabbing away. Every slash and stab felt reckless, like he was just attacking for the sake of it… like it made him feel better. But there was still some kind of precision in it, in a way. It's like he was predicting where and when Toya would dodge, and it made Toya have to fight even more defensively than he normally would. Akira went to stab Toya once more, but with quick thinking, Toya ducked down, dodging out of the way and pushing Akira back, creating distance between the two.

"Akira, listen already! I don't want to fight you! I know you're stronger than this! I know that you can fight against thi-" Suddenly, Akira threw his knife at Toya. Without having a chance to react or dodge out of the way, Akira's knife found its way right into Toya's skin, right under his shoulder. Toya's eyes widened as he gasped in shock, the pain not registering until moments later. While he was in his state of shock, Akira quickly ran towards him and jumped into the air, grabbing the knife that was stuck in Toya's body and kicking him in the face, pushing him off of the blade and onto the ground, his wound completely open and visible. Toya started breathing heavy, covering his wound with his hand.

"One less Palace for me to worry about…" Akira slowly walked towards Toya, a malicious smile on his face as he gripped his mask. "**IZANAGI-PICARO!" **With a loud yell, he ripped his mask off, summoning his Persona. Toya looked at the Persona in despair for a moment… and then, the reality of his situation began to settle in to his mind. He couldn't reason Akira… it was out of the question. He couldn't die here… he couldn't. He looked at Akira's Persona once more, but this time, he had grit burning throughout his soul, and a look of sheer determination on his face. "**SLASH!**"

"Diabolos!" Toya quickly took his mask off to summon his Diabolos, who fired a massive bullet straight at Izanagi-Picaro, stopping the attack entirely. Toya slowly picked himself up, still breathing heavily, as his blade materialized in his hands. "Fine. If you're not gonna listen to me… I'll just beat the sense back into your head!" Toya pointed his blade at Akira, gritting his teeth as a blue flame burned around him. He had to take this fight seriously… and Mephisto wasn't an option. He had to win, but he couldn't hurt Akira too badly. He just had to weaken him enough to knock him unconscious… that was his goal.

"Now we're talking!" Akira laughed, twirling his knife around in his hands. "I was starting to think you'd just fall over and die on me… COME ON THEN!" With a tight grip on his mask and a red flame on his face, Akira used his Persona to fire a massive blast of lightning at Toya. Toya jumped out of the way and stared at Akira, snapping his fingers. As he did, a blue aura surrounded Akira, as he felt his defenses get lowered. With an intense look in his eyes, Toya rushed towards Akira with his fist pointed directly in front of him. Akira grit his teeth, as the flame around him burned brighter, causing his Persona to attack using its blade. Predicting this, Toya shot his hookshot towards the ceiling above them, getting out of the way of Izanagi's attack and pressing himself against the ceiling for a brief moment, before pushing himself off and charging straight towards Akira from above. Akira pulled out his knife to try and counterattack, but before he could, Toya's fist met his cheek, knocking him completely off balance. Toya quickly got behind him and grabbed him by his arm and his hair, pushing his body against the wall, causing Akira to drop his knife as he grunted in pain. Mustering up more strength, Toya managed to throw Akira towards the other side of the room, sending him flying through the air.

"End this fight… DIABOLOS!" Ripping off his mask, Toya summoned Diabolos and fired off a powerful blast of dark magic, hitting Akira head on. He was sent flying down towards the ground, a thick cloud of smoke covering his body. Toya took deep, exhausted breaths… before picking up Akira's knife and pocketing it, then walking forward. He had to do one more thing to make sure the fight was over… he couldn't stop moving yet, even though he wanted to rest.

"You're mine!" Toya's widened in shock as he heard Akira's voice. Then, he heard the sound of gunshots. Akira fired straight in Toya's direction, his bullets ripping through Toya's skin, some of them grazing against his arms, and one stray bullet ripping through Toya's leg, making him cry out in pain. Moments later, the cloud of smoke cleared away. Akira was standing on his own two feet with a green beam rising around him, healing the wounds that Toya gave him. He was holding a gun… and on top of that, there was a completely different Persona behind him.

"You can use multiple Personas too…!? Give me a break!" Toya was getting tired. He couldn't keep up a fight like this forever… not when he was taking as many hits as he was. He was losing blood… and it was starting to drain him. He had to muster up as much strength as he could, but… that was proving to be harder and harder with every passing moment.

"I can see how you took down my entire team now. I must say, I'm impressed!" Akira smirked with a malicious aura surrounding him, the red flame only growing. "**You're a worthy first victim!"** Laughing with a tight grip on his gun, Akira started to open fire, shooting at Toya. Toya dodged around the room with the use of his hookshot, zipping around from wall to wall. He noticed something while Akira was shooting… he was being even more reckless than before- even more reckless than he was when he used Mephisto. He was getting annoyed by not landing any attacks… and it got to his head. This was Toya's opening.

"First victim? Don't make me laugh! I'll never lose to someone as weak willed as you!" While zipping between wall, Toya taunted Akira while pulling out his gunblade and pointing forward, shooting at Akira's legs and intentionally missing.

"Don't mock me!" Akira ran forward and span around, rapidly pulling the trigger on his gun and shooting around the entire room. Toya zipped to the ceiling and watched as Akira shot around the entire room, not even looking where he was aiming. He pushed himself off of the ceiling and into Akira's direction, slamming down on his head with his fist, sending him to the ground. He collided with the ground and grunted in pain, as Toya landed in front of him.

"Give it up. You're weaker than me. Stop fighting back and gain control of yourself!"

"You damn… **ORPHEUS-PICARO!**" Akira ripped off his mask in frustration, summoning his second Persona. "**RAVAGE HIM!" **He yelled out, and began shooting out massive blasts of fire. Toya zipped around the room again, avoiding getting even remotely close. The blasts of fire were all fired away even more recklessly than before… it was just as Toya predicted. There was no method to his madness, Akira was just relentlessly attacking.

"YOU'RE OPEN!" Seeing a clear path, Toya went from wall to wall until he had Akira in his line of sight. Ripping off his mask, he fired a blast of dark magic right at Akira, ending his barrage of magic and sending him into a wall. "Are you ready to come to your senses yet?"

"I'm not done…!" Akira started panting, looking at Toya with a frenzied expression. "**ARSENE!" **The red flame on Akira's face burned brighter than ever as he summoned one last Persona… and just by seeing it, Toya remembered something. The fight with Kamoshida, the first time he ever saw a Persona… he saw that exact thing. This Persona… it was his main one, Toya was sure of that. "This fight… ends here…!"

"Yeah. This is the last round." Toya pointed his blade at Akira, breathing heavily. "You're going down!"

"We'll see about that!" Akira rushed forward with his gun in his hand, reeling back and trying to hit Toya with it. He blocked the attack with his blade, as well as every attack that came after. But then… he noticed something. He was getting slower… and this time, it wasn't out of exhaustion. That's when Toya noticed that there was a green aura around him, slowing him down. "**You're mine!" **Akira quickly unmasked, as the flame on his face grew bigger than ever. Arsene unleashed a devastating physical attack on to Toya, sending him flying away.

"Diabolos!" While he was being sent away, Toya took his mask off and, in a last ditch effort, tried blasting Akira with his magic.

"Descend, Loki!" Toya's eyes widened as he heard Akechi's voice. He looked over at him, and saw him cast a spell… it was a magic barrier, and it was used on Akira. Thanks to that, Toya's blast was sent right back at him, hitting him directly.

"**IT'S SHOWTIME!"** Akira ran as fast as he could towards Toya as he was flying away, taking off his mask as soon as he got close enough and using Arsene's ultimate attack. Two massive wings of darkness appeared around Toya, and slowly closed in on him. With no chance to dodge the attack whatsoever, Toya took the full force of it. He felt his body get surrounded by dark magic… and fell to the ground, barely even conscious anymore.

"D… damn… it…" Toya looked at Akira, slowly walking towards him. His vision was getting blurry… he could barely even make him out. His body ached so badly… he didn't even want to move anymore. He couldn't possibly do anything… all he could do was accept his fate.

"_Please… help…"_

"_Again?_" Toya thought to himself.

"_The only one… potential… save The… untimely demise… unlock… secret of The…"_

"_Just… who are you…?_"

"_darkness… inside of you… Defy… demons who… control…"_

"_What are you trying to tell me…?_"

"_Overwhelming power… Hunger… destroy the chains… your heart…"_

"_Destroy the chains on my heart…? Even though that means…_" Toya thought to himself for a moment. Toya knew exactly what it meant to destroy the chains of his heart… and he really didn't want to do it. But… he had to. He had to control the power of Hunger… the power of Mephisto.

"And so… your final act concludes." Akira continued walking forward, taking out his gun and pointing it at Toya.

"**Are you sure about that?"** There was a certain malice in Toya's voice now. A purple flame grew around him, one that made Akira back away in confusion. "**I swore to myself that I wouldn't do this… but I have no other choice." **The purple flame around Toya grew even brighter, as he slowly picked himself up, still looking down at the ground. "**Everything relies on this… everything relies on me being able to survive this. That's why… no matter what happens…"** Toya slowly raised his head, staring at Akira. One of his eyes was completely normal… but the other was completely bloodshot, with a golden outline around it. "**I WON'T DIE HERE!"** Toya yelled out, as the purple flame grew tremendously in size. He ripped off his mask, as blue beams arose around him. He concentrated all of his strength, focusing as much as he could. "**I'm putting everything I have into this blast… every single bit of my strength will go into ending this fight, right here!" **

"Is that so?" Akira smirked, as a magic barrier formed around him once again, thanks to Akechi. "**COME ON THEN!"** Akira laughed and waited for Toya's blast, but then noticed something… strange. The purple flame that was on his face was different… instead of just being purely purple, one side of his face… had a blue flame instead. He somehow had a multi-colored flame on his face, as he charged up an attack. It was weird, but… surely it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

"**End this… DIABOLOS!"** Diabolos suddenly appeared behind Toya again, as he fired a massive blast of dark energy towards Akira. Akira extended his arms out to his sides and laughed as the blast came at him… but then, something else weird happened. Instead of hitting the barrier around him… it struck the ground he was standing on. The blast was incredibly powerful… it would've been enough to kill someone, but… Toya somehow missed it. Toya held his head down and started breathing heavily, his eyes completely closed. He was covered in his own blood thanks to all of his wounds… but something deep inside of him kept him going.

"That's it…? How disappointing…" Akira sighed, taking his gun out and pointing it at Toya. "Hyping up one final attack just to miss it… you should have just let your curtain fall!"

"That's where you're wrong, Akira…" Toya slowly looked up, looking into Akira's eyes. Both of his eyes were normal now, without the golden outline. "I didn't miss my target at all. I just wasn't aiming for you directly." Toya raised one hand, breathing heavily before snapping his fingers. As he snapped his fingers, the sound of rumbling echoed throughout the room. Akira looked around him in all directions as he felt the room vibrating, but he couldn't see anything. However, a few moments later, Akira realized the truth of what was happening. He looked down towards his feet, and saw the ground beneath him start to crack. He attempted to jump away and avoid what was happening, but he wasn't fast enough. The ground beneath Akira's feet collapsed, and he fell along with it, dropping down to the next floor and landing in the rubble. Toya jumped down the hole, looking at Akira. He was still conscious, but… he was in pain.

"This… this is nothing…!" Akira took off his mask and summoned the Persona he used to heal himself earlier in the fight, staring at Toya with an intense look on his face. "This isn't how this ends… this fight… isn't over… yet…!"

"Yes, it is." Toya calmly took off his mask and summoned Diabolos again, casting a spell. Akira looked towards Toya with the same intense and fiery look, but… it slowly started to fade away. His eyes got heavy all of a sudden… and then, without saying a word, they closed. Toya put him to sleep with his final spell. He laughed for a brief second, before falling down to his knees, breathing heavily. That attack really did drain him of nearly everything he had… it took every ounce of will power to even stay awake.

"How wonderful." Akechi jumped down the hole, looking towards Toya and clapping. "Really, I must applaud for you. You truly did put on a show…" He slowly walked forward, taking a gun out and pointing it at Toya's head. "I'll admit, this isn't how I anticipated things to end. The plan was for only Akira to die, but… I suppose I've wanted to reunite you with your brother for quite some time now. Be sure to give him my regards when you see him again."

"You... bastard…!" Toya continued breathing heavily, looking at Akechi, who was looming over him. He had a sadistic grin plastered on his face, as he rested his finger on the trigger of his gun.

"_**Case closed. This is where your justice ends."**_


	53. The Ultimate Show (5 of 5)

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

Akechi felt as if he was on top of the world. This turn of events… it was perfect for him. He got could finish Akira off in a minute… and he could even complete a personal goal of his. Someone who used to be his friend… but he was an enemy now. Months ago, Akechi would have hesitated much more. However… right now, he didn't care about that. Though… there was something else that was bothering him. Ever since he dropped down to this floor of Mementos, he's heard something… something strange, and it was getting louder with every passing second. It sounded like chains… and it was getting dangerously close. He turned around, but he didn't see anything. It was a nerve wracking sound, one that sent chills down his spine.

"What is that sou-" Akechi's speech was cut off, as he let out a gasp of pain. Seemingly out of nowhere, there was excruciating pain coursing through him. He looked back to Toya, and saw him holding Akira's knife, which was now lodged deep in his gut.

"That… was for what you did to Akira." Toya quickly pulled the knife out, and shoved it into Akechi's wrist before he could react. The sudden pain made Akechi drop his gun and fall to his knees, grunting in pain and anguish. "That one… was for what you did to my father…"

"You piece of shit…!" Toya slowly stood up, the purple flame on his face suddenly reappearing as he took his mask off. A pink beam rose around him and charged him up, as he lifted Akechi up by his hair. The golden outline around his eyes was back… this time, it was both of his eyes, rather than just one. Aside from just his eyes, his entire expression seemed frenzied, going far beyond just anger.

"And this…" Toya reeled his fist back, gritting his teeth. "**THIS IS FOR WHAT YOU DID TO KEN!" **He let go of Akechi's hair as he brought his fist forward, punching Akechi right in his face. With the extra power from his Persona charging him up, the punch was enough to send Akechi flying through the air, all the way to the other side of the room, towards the sound of the chains.

"Damn you… I'll kill you…!" Akechi got on his feet and looked angrily at Toya.

"**PERSONA!" **With a loud yell, Toya ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona, firing a blast of dark magic towards the ceiling, creating a wall in between him and Akechi. Akechi got a look at Toya when he did it… whatever Persona he summoned, it definitely wasn't Diabolos. It looked like Loki in a way… but that wasn't important. He started banging on the wall of rubble, trying to break through.

"**I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'LL GET OUT OF HERE AND FINISH YOU OFF, DAMN IT!**" Akechi yelled as loud as he could, but he couldn't break down the wall. Meanwhile, Toya limped towards Akira, breathing heavily. The outline around his eyes was gone for real this time… now it was just him and his grit remaining. He reached down and slowly lifted up Akira, carrying him on his shoulder and slowly limping away.

"Come on, you... heavy son of a bitch… we're getting the hell out of here…" Toya could barely even speak anymore. He was absolutely drained, and could barely even see things straight. His body quaked as he raised his fist, shooting his hookshot to the ceiling of the top floor and landing, nearly falling over as he did. His body wanted to give out so badly, but… his mind was stronger. His mind forced him to keep going, no matter what. As he was going, he thought back to that sound… those chains. He heard it once before- after his fight with Ryuji. He had completely forgotten about it until he heard it again… but it was what he needed to survive the encounter.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station **

With blood coming still dripping out of his open wounds, Toya made it back to the real world. He didn't see anyone… the streets were empty, and a majority of the lights were off. He felt his phone vibrate, and took it out, realizing he missed some messages.

HARU: Hey…

HARU: The diner closed for the night, so we're going back to Leblanc.

HARU: You're taking awfully long… I hope everything turned out okay.

HARU: Oh, and… there's one more thing.

HARU: Please, talk to Makoto soon…

HARU: She's been… distraught, ever since she heard something earlier today.

Toya tried to respond, but his arm ached so badly… he could barely even hold anything. His unwounded arm was busy carrying Akira, so he couldn't hold his phone. He put it back in his pocket, and slowly went on his way to Leblanc.

"_She heard something…?_" Toya thought about what Haru said about Makoto. "_Please, just don't be hurt…_" Those were the only concerns Toya had anymore. He knew Makoto was having an emotional day, given her sister's calling card, but… she was strong. For something to actually shake her enough for Haru to be worried about it… that had to mean something. Toya couldn't think about what it actually was though… not right now. His mind was so focused on surviving long enough to make it there… nothing else mattered more. He had to get Akira home… then he could worry about everything else.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

While Toya was making his escape, the menacing sound of chains was closing in on Akechi. He tried breaking down the wall, but his wounds were deep, and he felt himself getting weaker. After one more desperate attempt at breaking it down, Akechi nearly collapsed, pressing down on his wounds. He wasn't dying… not yet, at least. He felt his time was coming soon though… especially as the sound of chains got close enough to the point that he saw the source. He turned his head and saw a massive Shadow in a red cloak, holding a gun that was even bigger than he was. Akechi stood up, staring at the Shadow. The aura around it was so… malicious. It's like he could feel the murderous intent coming from it. The Shadow pointed its massive gun at Akechi, and fired straight him.

"**LOKI!"** A barrier formed around Akechi, protecting him from the attack and sending it straight back towards it. While the attack was being reflected, a black and red aura engulfed his body, as well as a massive red flame. When the flame dispersed and his body was revealed again, he was wearing a black mask, with a plate of armor covering his wounds. They pressed against it hard enough for him not to bleed out while fighting… but just barely. "**I… will KILL you!" **Akechi might have said that, but… he didn't mean it. He got hurt really badly against Toya… he couldn't possibly fight something that seemed as strong as this. He needed to think fast about a way to escape this situation… and thanks to Toya's antics from earlier, he had some kind of an idea for it. Destroying the terrain to give yourself an advantage… it was a strategy that Akechi could replicate if he needed to, and at this moment in time… he needed to. He couldn't die here… he needed to survive. His revenge… that's all that was important. He could deal with Toya if he got in his way again… on his own terms. Right now, he had to survive.

The murderous Shadow shot towards Akechi again, but instead of using a barrier to block this one, Akechi dodged out of the way, causing the bullet to hit the rubble. The attack was more than enough to blow a massive hole in the rubble, causing it to fall apart. Akechi used the opportunity to get through the wall, but he wasn't free yet. He was on a lower floor… he had to get through the massive hole in the ceiling still, and the Shadow wasn't going to let him run away forever. The Shadow lifted its gun once more, causing Akechi to instantly set up a physical barrier. However, instead of a bullet… a lightning bolt was summoned, flying straight towards Akechi. Akechi had no time to set up a different kind of barrier, and as a result, the lightning struck him directly, sending shocks through his body and bringing him down to his knees, reeling in pain. The pain was unreal, but at the same time… it ticked something in his brain. The one thing he felt more than the pain from the excessive shock… was anger, pure rage.

"**Everything was going perfect… for once, everything was going MY way…"** Akechi spoke with a sadistic tone, a red flame raging around him. "**But no… you just HAD to interfere…! But even if you want to get in my way..." **Akechi ripped off his mask in a rage, the red flame erupting around him and engulfing the entire room. "**I WON'T LET YOU STOP ME!" **As he yelled, a massive white explosion appeared on top of the Shadow, pushing it back. "**I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH EFFORT IT TAKES! I'M GOING TO SURVIVE THIS!" **Akechi yelled as he charged forward, rage fueling every movement his body made. "_If Toya can do that…!_" He thought to himself, staring at the ceiling and summoning his Persona. "_Then I can do that too! __**I'll prove that I'm better than him!**_" Akechi's mind went into a frenzy as he fired a blast of dark magic at the ceiling just above the Shadow, causing it to collapse. The Shadow was bombarded with rubble, giving Akechi a chance to cast another spell, this one being an ice spell. He blasted ice straight towards the Shadow, but instead of hitting it directly, the ice landed just in front of it, creating another wall. The Shadow couldn't even break it, it was completely trapped between the two walls. It couldn't even raise its gun… it was completely trapped. Akechi wanted to attack it so badly… but he knew he couldn't he had to escape with his life, and live to fight another day. He shot another blast of ice magic at the ground, creating a platform for him to stand on. He climbed on top of it and got to the top floor, making his way to the exit, limping the entire way due to his wounds.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

Getting back to the real world, Akechi wanted nothing more than to find Toya and end things. But… he couldn't. He instantly fell down to his knees… feeling his consciousness fading with every passing moment. He desperately took out his phone, his arms shaking as he messaged a number he didn't have saved on his phone.

AKECHI: shibuya station

AKECHI: please

AKECHI: help

?: What!?

No response. Akechi passed out just after sending his final text, sprawled out on the ground.

?: You damn brat…

?: Fine. I'm sending someone.

?: You have some nerve, asking for help after fucking everything up…

Help was sent towards Akechi, as he laid completely limp on the ground. His wounds were completely open… he had no way to cover them or postpone the bleeding. He just had to pray that he'd live long enough to get the help he needed to get his revenge. After all… he only wanted revenge on one person before today. But now… he wanted revenge on Toya as well. He'd get his revenge for today… as soon as he recovered.

**November 19th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

Sojiro was still a little shaken up about the events that took place earlier that morning, but he was much more relieved now. Most of the Phantom Thieves had already come back and filled him in on what happened, and while he didn't fully understand _everything, _he was glad to hear that his life wasn't in danger. Though, there was one thing that bothered him still… and it was the fact that Akira wasn't back yet. He should have gotten back a while ago… it wasn't like him to stay out _this _late. In the midst of his worry, he heard the bell chime as the door opened to the store opened.

"Hey, we're about to clos-" Sojiro's eyes widened as he looked at who walked in. Toya was in his store, covered in blood, with an unconscious Akira on his shoulder. "What the hell!?"

"T-Take… him…" Toya could barely even whisper. Blood was dripping out from everywhere, and his legs were trembling. He could barely even stand up straight, and having to carry Akira didn't help him whatsoever.

"HEY! All of you, get down here, now!" Sojiro yelled to the upstairs room, as he made his way over to Toya and Akira, taking Akira off of him and sitting him down at a table. While he was taking Akira, everyone else came from upstairs, including Makoto, Haru, and the entirety of the Phantom Thieves, who looked at Toya in shock.

"T-Toya…!?" Makoto was terrified of what she saw.

"Oh my god… what happened!?" Haru had never seen someone so banged up… even her father looked better during his final moments.

"Hey! Say something!" Ryuji called out to him, but… Toya didn't even know who was talking to him anymore. His ears were ringing, and his vision was so hazy… everyone looked and sounded the same to him.

"We… were right... " Toya struggled to speak, slowly walking forward. His voice was hoarse at this point, sounding like he was half dead. "Akechi… turned… A-Akira…" He couldn't even finish his sentence. His voice was completely shot now.

"Akechi did something to him…!? Hey, what did he do!?" Ann yelled, but… Toya couldn't respond. He had finally reached the end of his strength. Everything he had left was used to save Akira, and bring him back. After a long fight against both Sae and a psychotic Akira… he couldn't speak anymore, or even stand. In just a moment, Toya's eyes completely rolled up, and his body finally gave out, collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud, losing his consciousness upon hitting hit head against the cold, hard floor.


	54. Grit

**? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , ? ? ? ? ( ? ? ? ? ? ? )**

**? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? - ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ( ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? )**

"_Where am I?_"

"_It's so dark…_"

"_Am I… dead…?_"

"_No, I don't think so…_"

"_It's so hot… I feel like I'm burning…_"

"_Did I go to Hell…?_"

"_Wait… Hell…_"

"_Don't tell me I'm…!_"

Toya's eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings. That throne in front of him… and that figure sitting proudly on it. There was no doubt in his mind… that was his Shadow, and this… this was his Palace.

"**What the hell are you doing!?" **The Shadow slammed its fist down on the armrest of the throne, looking angrily at Toya. "**You let the bastard who killed Ken survive!?"**

"I'm not a killer! I'm not going to just kill someone like that!"

"**Even if it means letting a maniac run amok among society!? You're going to try and convince yourself that doing that makes any logical sense whatsoever!?" **

"I don't HAVE to convince myself. I already know that I'm not someone who would kill others!"

"**You don't have to convince yourself? Foolish Jester… haven't you realized the truth yet?" **Toya's Shadow sat up straight and tilted his head, smirking as a mask appeared in his hand. This was no ordinary mask though… that was the mask Toya used in the Metaverse. "**I **_**am**_ **you. The side of you that you're too afraid to show the world. The side of you that wanted to murder Akechi for killing our brother!"**

"Then you're staying in this abomination of a world! You're stuck in this Palace until I find a way to get rid of you!"

"**Oh, am I now?" **Toya's Shadow started laughing, while holding its hand out. Once its arm was fully extended outward, Toya's head had an indescribable pain ringing through it, bringing him down to his knees and causing him to scream out in agony, closing his eyes. "**Don't make me laugh! You really think you can control your darkness!? You're nothing more than a puppet for me to control!" **Toya's screams of agony continued on. His Shadow's voice echoed throughout his head, repeating the same phrase over and over.

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"_**Kill him.**_"

"Get… out…" Toya's entire body quaked as he opened his eyes, revealing a golden outline around them, with a purple flame appearing around him. "**OF MY HEAD!"**

"_**Kill Akechi.**_"

"_**He deserves to die.**_"

"_**He has already been judged.**_"

"_**It's time for his execution.**_"

"_**Avenge your brother.**_"

"_**He'll keep killing if you don't stop him.**_"

"_**You're next on his list.**_"

"_**Makoto is in danger as well.**_"

"_**Give in to darkness to save her.**_"

"I said…" Toya slowly stood up, staring at his own Shadow, who was laughing maniacally.

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"_**Give in to me.**_"

"Get… **OUT!" **

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Takemi Medical Clinic**

Toya's eyes jolted open as he stood up straight. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead while he took deep breaths.

"You finally came to…" Toya slowly looked over to a woman who was standing by him, wearing a long white coat. "Took you long enough. Now we just have to wait for this one." Her eyes panned over to Akira, who was still unconscious. She sighed and looked back towards Toya.

"What…?" Toya's head was still in pain. Not only that, but the room was… incredibly cold. It took him a few minutes to realize that his shirt wasn't even on anymore. When he looked, he also noticed bandages all over his shoulder, reminding him of how badly he got hurt yesterday. Though, for some reason… it didn't hurt nearly as bad anymore. "Shouldn't this still sting…?"

"Normally, yes. You're lucky I've had experience in creating more powerful medicine than a normal hospital can provide. You'd probably be dead if any other doctor got to you." The doctor looked towards Akira again, nodding and closing her eyes. "That's mostly thanks to him."

"My head still hurts… how long was I out for?"

"It's already past noon. You were completely blacked out… though, with how much blood you lost, that was to be expected."

"I'm lucky to still be alive…" Toya readjusted himself. "Thank you, Doctor… I'm sorry, I don't think I ever got your name."

"Takemi. Doctor Tae Takemi."

"Doctor Takemi… thank you for saving me." Toya looked around the room. Akira seemed to be in much better shape than he was, which was… good.

"There are some people who were waiting for you to wake up. Put your shirt on while I go get them. I left it there, next to you."

"Oh… thanks." Toya quickly put his shirt back on. It was amazing… his shoulder barely even hurt anymore. Neither did his leg… or anything in general. He was still a little bit sore, but he usually was sore after taking someone's heart.

"Toya!" He instantly recognized Makoto's voice, who quickly came into the room. "Y-You're okay…!?"

"Somehow. I thought I'd be a lot worse, but… I'm barely even sore-" His speech was quickly cut off as Makoto got closer, hugging him tightly. Toya gently hugged her back, softly chuckling under his breath. "I was worried about you too, Makoto. I'm so glad you're still fine…" He slowly shifted around on the small bed. "Hey, sit down for a minute." She quickly sat down next to him, resting her head against his shoulder- the one without bandages on it. Toya wrapped an arm around her, bringing her in closer. It had been a long time since the two had spent time alone together… it was refreshing.

"I didn't know friends got _that _close to each other nowadays." The moment was quickly interrupted as another woman's voice broke both their train of thought.

"S-Sae!? When did you get here?"

"Oh, I've been watching the _**entire**_ time." Sae gave a knowing smirk at the two of them, causing them to slowly move apart and look away. "Come on. You don't have to hide it from me."

"Well, it's still awkward…!" Makoto was even more flustered than Toya was. She knew her sister was waiting with her, but… she didn't realize she was in the room yet.

"I'm sorry that it's awkward for you. But seriously… it's not like you two being in a relationship bothers me much.

"It… doesn't…? Sis, are you sure you're okay…?"

"I feel fine. Though… I definitely do feel different. I feel like… my head has been cleared." Her gaze turned directly towards Toya. "I'm sure you know why that is, don't you?" Toya was silent for a moment. He didn't know how to process this sudden question from Sae.

"I… might've told her about everything…" Makoto looked away from Toya as she spoke, slightly embarrassed.

"I guess you were going to figure out eventually." Toya sighed, reaching into his pocket, feeling the notebook he got from Sae's Palace. "How much did she explain?"

"Everything from Kaneshiro to present day. To think, two high schoolers did all of this… right under my nose, as well."

"Well, it's not like we did it all alone." Toya looked over to Akira, who was still unconscious. "Is there anything you didn't understand?"

"There's one thing I was curious about. Makoto said that everyone has a Treasure- a source of their corruption. Does that mean… I had one, as well?"

"Yeah. You had one." Toya slowly took the notebook out of his pocket, holding it towards Sae. "I didn't open it. I don't really think it's my place to snoop into something like this…"

"Is this…!?" Sae quickly walked over, taking the notebook out of Toya's hand. She quickly opened it and skimmed through the pages inside. "Th-this handwriting…"

"Wait, let me see that!" Makoto quickly got up and got behind Sae, looking at the notebook. She recognized this handwriting from anywhere.

"I figured you two would recognize it. It's… family, right?" They slowly nodded, as they reminisced of their father. "Hey, so… I don't want to ruin the moment, but… I wanted to bring something up." Toya looked directly at Sae, tilting his head. "On the topic of telling secrets and family… I learned something quite interesting while I was in your Palace, Sae." Sae froze up for a moment, averting her eyes away. "Are you gonna make me say it?"

"...I-I'm sorry for not telling you the truth, Toya."

"Wait, what? What are you two talking about…!?"

"Makoto, when Toya's brother died… I became his legal guardian. I never told anyone about it, but… it's the truth." Makoto was absolutely shocked. She had absolutely no idea about any of this.

"That… makes this relationship a bit more awkward…"

"I mean… we've already been dating for months now. Does it really matter that we have the same legal guardian?"

"I guess not, but… I still really wish you said something sooner, Sis…"

"What, would we not be dating if she told you sooner?"

"T-That's not what I mean!" The conversation continued on much more casually from that point on. With so many secrets out in the open, things were somewhat… peaceful, almost. Though… Toya couldn't help but feel like there was something he didn't mention yet, but his head was still in a bit of a daze. A few minutes later, Tae walked back into the room.

"Looks like you're fully situated. I'd like to keep you here a bit longer to make sure everything is fine, but you're free to go home tomorrow."

"That works for me."

"Great. Now we just need this one to wake up…" Tae slowly walked over to Akira's unconscious body, shaking him a few times. Then, suddenly, Toya's memory of yesterday came rushing through his mind. The way he got his wounds… the reason he had to carry Akira all the way back… everything was coming back to him.

"H-Hey! Don't shake him like that!"

"What's wrong? It's not like I'll hurt hi-" Tae's speech was cut off as she felt a hand around her throat, gripping her tightly. She looked down and saw Akira, who was finally awake. He had a devilish smirk and bloodshot eyes, staring right into Tae's soul.

"What's going on…!? Akira wouldn't do that!" Makoto took a step back for a brief moment.

"Toya, what's up with him!?" Sae yelled out to Toya, who quickly got up and punched Akira right in his face, causing his tight grip on Tae to weaken just enough for her to slip away.

"**You should have just bled out in Mementos…!" **Akira rushed towards Toya, with an insane look in his eyes. Toya quickly dodged to his side and got behind Akira, grabbing both of his arms and holding him in place. "**Get the hell off of me!"** He yelled, trying to shuffle out of Toya's grip.

"YOU TWO!" Toya called out to both Makoto and Sae, looking at them. "Sae, you get to Leblanc and get Sojiro over here! Makoto, get Haru to get the rest of the group over here!" The two Niijima sisters nodded and ran out of the room, while Akira kept trying to get out of Toya's hold. "Doctor! Get out of here, make sure nobody else comes into the clinic unless they're with one of those two! Got it!?"

"What? Why not just call the police!?"

"There's no time to explain! Just trust me! He'll be in jail for life if the police get here!"

"He attacked me!"

"He's not in control of himself!" Akira's shaking got more and more violent. Toya shoved him down onto the bed and held him in place, looking over at Tae. "It's a psychotic breakdown! He's barely in control of himself, he's just trying to attack people!"

"A psychotic breakdown…!? Wait, but aren't those fata-"

"WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS LATER! HURRY UP AND MAKE SURE NOBODY ELSE GETS HERE!" Toya yelled, which intimidated Tae more than enough for her to get out, heading towards the entrance to the clinic.

"**I'm… going… to kill you…!" **Akira was getting stronger. Toya couldn't hold him down like this forever… he needed everyone else to get here fast. If they didn't get here soon, Akira would break free, and if that happened… everyone was in danger.


	55. Psychotic

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Okumura Household**

MAKOTO: Haru! Are you here!?

HARU: What's wrong?

MAKOTO: Something happened to Akira!

MAKOTO: You need to get over to the clinic we brought him and Toya to right now!

HARU: Wait, what happened to him!?

MAKOTO: I don't know!

MAKOTO: It's like he lost his mind…!

MAKOTO: Please, just get over here and tell everyone else!

HARU: Lost his mind…!?

HARU: Okay, I'll get everyone else now!

HARU: Are all of you awake!?

ANN: What's up?

HARU: Makoto just told me that something is happening to Akira at the clinic!

YUSUKE: Hold on… what do you mean by "something"?

HARU: She said he's lost his mind!

RYUJI: L-Lost his mind!? Are you for real!?

FUTABA: Sojiro just said that Sae Niijima told him the same thing!

FUTABA: We're both on our way over to the clinic now!

RYUJI: Alright, I'm on my way too!

ANN: Me too!

YUSUKE: I'll get there as soon as possible!

Haru rushed out of the door and quickly made her way to the subway station. Makoto wouldn't say something like this if it wasn't an emergency… this had to be serious. But what could Akira losing his mind possibly mean…? Whatever it was… Haru couldn't sit around and wait for someone to tell her. She had to go there herself and see just what was happening.

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Takemi Medical Clinic**

After a long struggle, Akira mustered up the strength to get Toya off of him, pushing him back into the wall and getting back up on his feet. He had a crazed look in his eyes… and a malicious aura around him. It wasn't that he wasn't thinking straight anymore… he wasn't even thinking at all. He was controlled by an insatiable bloodlust, causing him to act more violently than Toya had ever seen before, from anyone. This was even worse than when Mephisto was summoned… it was even less controlled.

"Just listen, damn it! I'm not trying to hurt you!"

"**If you care about your well-being at all..." **Akira held his hands out to his side, revealing a demented smile on his face. "**Then you better **_**start **_**trying to hurt me!" **Akira quickly moved forward, reeling his fist back and trying to hit Toya. Toya ducked under the attack, moving away from Akira, but no matter how far away he got, Akira closed the distance as soon as he could, attempting to punch Toya again. Toya blocked and dodged as many punches as he could, until suddenly, Akira changed his pattern up and pushed his knee right into Toya's gut, completely catching him off guard. With the moment of advantage he had, Akira used the opportunity to land punch after punch on Toya, eventually sending him towards the door, pushing it open and sending him out into the waiting room. He fell down on his back, wincing in pain as he looked towards the inside of the examination room, staring at Akira.

"What the hell!?" Toya suddenly heard a voice he recognized. He turned to his side to see Ryuji, and along with him was everyone else relevant to the situation at hand.

"Stay back, all of you!" Toya yelled out to them all, before suddenly hearing the sound of someone running. He looked back towards the examination room and saw Akira charging towards him with a knife in his hand, jumping up into the air and trying to stab Toya. Toya quickly rolled out of the way, getting back on his own two feet.

"**You brought more people along?" **Akira slowly stood up, twirling the knife around in his hand while looking at the entire group. His body ever so slightly twitched as he tilted his head, staring at everyone with a malicious aura around him. "**Fine. If you all want to stand by his side, then you'll die by his side!" **Akira reeled his hand back with the knife in his hand, preparing to throw it. However, Toya remembered this… he already did this yesterday, it couldn't work again. Before Akira could throw the knife, Toya rushed forward and got behind Akira, grabbing both of his arms and holding them in the air, not letting him move them around at all.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" Sojiro yelled out to him while Akira struggled to get out of Toya's grip.

"**Shut up, damn it! Get back to your coffee shop and get the hell out of my face!" **Akira yelled even louder than Sojiro did. It was absurd… Sojiro had known him for months at this point, but this… this was nothing like the boy he took in back in April. This was someone entirely different… for whatever reason that may be.

"I've had enough of this." Tae made her way into the examination room, rummaging around for a bit until coming back out with a red liquid in her hands.

"**That…! Get that stuff the hell away from me!" **Akira recognized what Tae had, struggling even harder to break free of Toya's grasp.

"Hold his mouth open for me." Tae looked back to the group, as they all looked at each other. They were all unsure… they couldn't even believe what they were seeing. This was a side of Akira they had never seen before… and it scared them. "Look, he's going to kill someone if you just stand there and don't help. You don't plan on letting that happen, do you?" They were still a bit unsure, but… ultimately, it would be wrong for them to just do nothing because Akira was their leader. With that in mind, Ryuji and Yusuke were the two to walk forward.

"**What the hell kind of teammates are you two!? You're really going to side with this asshole over me? ME!?" **Neither Ryuji nor Yusuke had anything to say in response. They didn't want to do this, but… they had no choice in the matter. They both took a hold of Akira's face, keeping his mouth open as Tae poured the red liquid into his mouth. A few moments after being forced to drink it, Akira's consciousness slowly began to fade, causing him to completely pass out. Toya slowly set him down onto the floor and fell to his knees. He still felt weakened from yesterday… he needed to rest, but he was forced into a situation where he had no choice but to fight.

"Thanks…" Toya coughed, his body shaking with pain.

"You need to start talking. What happened last night!?" Ann yelled out to him, as Toya slowly started getting up.

"Let's… bring this somewhere else. We shouldn't keep the clinic busy any longer than we have."

"If you're going, then you better come back here as soon as you're done. I need to make sure you're still fine after exuding that much energy." Toya nodded in response to Tae, looking towards everyone else.

"Wait, what will we do with Akira? We can't just leave him here, can we?" Haru spoke while looking towards Akira. "We can't just leave him here, can we…?"

"No, we can't." Toya reached into his pocket, taking out his keys and slowly walking towards Makoto. "Can you bring him to my place? I don't really think I can carry him as I am right now, and… well, I don't want to give my keys to anyone else, honestly."

"Okay, but fill me in on what happened as soon as I get back, okay?"

"I will. I promise. There should be something to restrain him."

"Okay…" Makoto slowly walked over to Akira's body, lifting him up. "I'll need some help carrying him though…"

"I'll come." Sae slowly walked forward, helping her sister lift Akira up. "Come on, we should get going. I still have to go in for work later today."

"If it's no trouble, I'd like to accompany the two of you as well." Yusuke slowly walked forward, looking towards the two Niijima sisters.

"That's fine. Let's get going." Makoto responded, as the three of them walked out of the clinic. Everyone else made their way to Leblanc, with the exception of Tae.

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Leblanc**

Due to the cafe still being open, Sojiro had to stay downstairs and attend to any customers that may come in to the store, while everyone else went upstairs to Akira's room. The group that went upstairs consisted of Toya, Haru, Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, and Futaba.

"Okay, no more stalling! What happened to Akira!?" Futaba yelled out as soon as Toya sat down.

"By now, you know I went to Sae's Palace, right? Well, fighting her Shadow and changing her heart went as expected… until Akira and Akechi showed up together, just as I got my hands on her Treasure. I ended up getting away from them and got outside, but Akira followed me. Though… when Akira got out, he got ambushed. It wasn't by Shadows… it was cops. As in, real-life police officers."

"B-But how did they get there? Weren't you in Sae's Palace!?" Morgana was the first to question things.

"We were. Akechi must have gotten them in… I can only assume he had planned to get all of you arrested. I ended up getting the police away from him, and we set out on our path to the diner where we all planned to meet. We got to Shibuya and everything was fine… and then Akechi showed up. We couldn't let him follow us to the diner, so we went to Mementos and tried to confront him together. Then… things started going really badly after that."

"Hold on, there's no way he could've beaten both of you! We fought with him, there's no way he's strong enough to beat both of you! Hell, you could probably beat him on your own if you fought both me and Yusuke! How did things go wrong!?"

"And that still doesn't explain why Akira seemed so… out of character. How did _that_ happen? What aren't you telling us?" Ann sided with Ryuji, staring Toya down. Toya looked down, with a somber expression.

"Akechi's Persona… do any of you remember what the name of it was?"

"Robin Hood. What does that have to do with this?" Futaba answered and tilted her head, causing Toya to take a deep sigh.

"I see… so it's true." Toya slowly raised his head, looking towards everyone else. "He has a second Persona."

"A-A second Persona!? But… I thought only you and Akira were capable of multiple!" Haru was just as shocked as everyone else aas, taking a step back in disbelief.

"Apparently not. His second Persona is named Loki… and it has a power similar to Mephisto."

"Similar to Mephisto…? Isn't that your other Persona?" Morgana walked forward slightly.

"Yeah, it is. Whenever I summon it… my mind goes into a frenzy. It causes me to act violent and irrational… similar to one who's suffering a psychotic breakdown. The thing is… I can't use it on other people. It goes off automatically, and changes me. But, with Akechi… it's different. He can use it as a spell and cast it on other people… and that's what he did to Akira."

"H-He did that to him!? Are you for real!?"

"Yeah. That's why I was so wounded when I got here last night. It wasn't Akechi… it was him. I didn't want to hurt him, so I didn't fight back at first, but… look where that got me." Toya lifted up part of his shirt, revealing all of the bandages over his shoulder, tinted red from the blood. "I eventually had to start fighting back, or he would've killed me. I tried to go about it without hurting him much, but… I don't know how well I succeeded at that. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about? There was barely even a scratch on him." Ann was one of the first to notice that Toya seemed… depressed about it, for no real reason.

"You saw the condition he was in at the clinic, right? He's not even himself anymore. That's... that's all on me." Toya slowly stood up, not making eye contact as he started walking away."

"Hey- where are you going? You don't have to leave yet!" Haru called out to Toya, who barely turned his head to respond.

"I've caused you all enough problems, haven't I? I'm gonna just head back to the clinic. Makoto will be back soon anyways."

"Huh? Hey, wait a sec!" Ann called out to Toya, but he didn't even look back.

"...Goodbye." Toya put his hands in his pockets and walked downstairs, heading back to the clinic.

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero Household**

Makoto, Sae, and Yusuke all showed up to Toya's house, getting Akira into Ken's bed.

"Toya said there was something to restrain him with here. We'll probably have to look for it…" Makoto walked towards the closet in the room, beginning to open it.

"I'll go check his room, then." Yusuke slowly walked out of Ken's room and made his way to Toya's. There was a lot on his mind… and he felt somewhat uneasy being here, but… he wanted some space away from everyone else to clear his head. Granted, he didn't necessarily feel comfortable with Makoto or Sae, but that's why he went to go check Toya's room instead.

He walked in and started looking around, first checking a closed drawer. There was nothing to restrain him with there, but… there were two pieces of paper that caught his attention. He pulled them out and sat down onto the bed, picking up one of the pieces of paper. It had the word "MINE" written on it, but… it wasn't with any form of ink. Yusuke would have recognized if it was ink, or paint. This was something else… it looked like blood, but... it was black. Surely it had some form of significance if Toya hid it in his room, but… whatever it was, Yusuke couldn't possibly figure that out himself. He put the paper down and picked up the other one, and… it was much more filled than the other one. It had a multitude of different words and phrases written on it, all of which were mostly crossed out, with few exceptions. There were three words written towards the top, away from all of the ones that were crossed out. The words were "KILLER", "CELEBRITY", and "PUBLICITY", and there was one word towards the bottom of the page that wasn't crossed out, and instead, had multiple circles around it, emphasizing its important. The word was "COLISEUM", but… what could that possibly mean? This seemed much more important than the other one… but as for what it was, Yusuke couldn't tell. There was even more mystery around Toya now than there was before in Yusuke's eyes… and while part of it intrigued him, it also scared him. He put the two pieces of paper back where he found them, and checked the closet in the room, and saw some rope that could be used to restrain Akira. He quickly took it and closed the closet door behind him, leaving the room and walking back to Makoto and Sae.

"Will this work?" Yusuke asked, holding the rope up.

"That's perfect. Come on, let's get this over with." Sae held her hands out and Yusuke gave her the rope, as she quickly restrained Akira to the bed. He was still unconscious, but… it wouldn't last for long. "Alright, that should hold. I have to get to work now, so you'll have to take the subway back."

"That's fine. I'll see you later, Sis." Sae walked away, quickly making her way outside. "Well… time to head back."

"Hold on, one thing before you go. There's… something I wanted to ask. Does the word 'mine' mean anything to you?"

"M-Mine?" Makoto thought about it for a moment, and the first thing she thought about was Ishida's Palace. "A bit… why do you ask?"

"When I was in Toya's room, I found something else before the rope. It was a piece of paper with the word 'MINE' written on it. I was wondering what it meant."

"He still has that…!?"

"Still? What do you mean?" Makoto sighed, looking down for a moment.

"When Toya's brother died… with his dying breath, he smeared that word onto a piece of paper. He was the one who was investigating the SIU director… and as it turned out, "MINE" was his Palace's keyword. I imagine that he keeps it as a memento of him…"

"I see… I apologize for bringing it up. I didn't know that it had… sentimental value."

"No, it's fine. Just… don't bring it up to him. I'm sure he doesn't want to think about it anymore than he already does." Makoto was surprised that Toya still kept it. It made some sense, but… it was still sad to think about. Regardless, she walked out of the room with Yusuke following behind her, both of them having a lot on their mind.

**November 20th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Takemi Medical Clinic**

"Seriously, I'm fine now. I was just winded, that's all."

"We'll see about that. You can leave tomorrow. I already talked to Sae on the phone earlier, she'll pick you up herself tomorrow morning. You need to stay the night so I can make sure you're fine in the morning."

"Ugh… fine, fine." Toya rolled his eyes. He didn't understand why he had to spend another night when he felt perfectly fine, but… it didn't make much of a difference. He was just uneasy. A moment later, he heard the sound of someone walking into the clinic.

"You're still here?" Makoto had shown up, walking into the examination room.

"I'm having him stay the night so I can make sure he's fine tomorrow. He'll be allowed to leave in the morning."

"I see… would it be fine if I stayed the night here with him then?"

"You want to stay? I mean, if you really want to, then sure… it's pretty cramped."

"That's fine." Tae looked awkwardly at her, before sighing.

"Go ahead then. Just don't break anything." Tae slowly walked away, leaving the two of them to each other. They heard the sound of the door to the clinic closing moments later.

"I don't get why I have to stay the night… I feel perfectly fine."

"Well, it's better safe than sorry. Besides… your stamina is lower than usual, isn't it?"

"I guess… well, I'm glad she let you stay the night. I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while…"

"That's fine. I wanted to spend time with you, anyways… I feel like it's been so long since we last spent time together."

"I know… I've wanted to spend time together as well, but… with everything that happened, I just feel like I haven't had time to be an actual teenager."

"Well, let's at least change that for tonight." Makoto took a seat next to Toya, looking at him. "Hey… do you mind if I see the bandages?"

"Oh, sure." Toya slowly took off his shirt, showing his bandages to Makoto. It didn't look as bad as she thought it would, but… it was still concerning.

"I'd ask how this all happened, but…" Makoto slowly rested her head on Toya's shoulder, the one that wasn't bandaged. "Do you mind if we save that talk for tomorrow…?"

"I don't mind waiting at all. I just explained it to most of the Phantom Thieves, anyways… I don't really want to explain it all again." Toya wrapped one arm around Makoto, bringing her in a bit closer.

"Thanks…" Makoto replied, but… there was something in her voice that Toya picked up on.

"You sounded… sad there, for a second. Did something happen?"

"Well… it's just something that's been on my mind since last night." Makoto looked down, a sad expression on her face. "You… have a Palace, don't you?"

"...Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me…?"

"It's because I know you, Makoto. I know that you care, and I know that no matter what… you'd try your absolute hardest to get in there and change my heart, and fix whatever's wrong with me."

"Isn't that what you want…? Don't you want to feel better? I mean… that's what Mephisto came from, isn't it?"

"It is. I'm sure of that. But… that's the problem. If you went in there, and you got hurt… by my own cognition? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for that. I'd hate myself for it. I didn't hide it from you because I don't trust you… I hid it from you because I'm scared." Toya's voice started breaking up, as he pulled Makoto in ever so slightly closer. "I've already lost so many loved ones… Ken, my father… and on top of that, I know for a fact that one of the only friends I had for a while aside from you is the one who killed those two. I can't lose someone else… especially if I lost them because of my own mess of a head. So please… please don't try going in there. Please…"

"Toya…" Makoto had no idea that it was that bad. She was sure that he had a specific reason for not telling her, but… she didn't know it was _that_ bad. "I won't try… but please. If you ever try going in there… please tell me. I don't want you going in there alone."

"I promise." Toya held on to Makoto a bit tighter. She reached for his other hand, holding on to it tightly. She closed her eyes as she rested her head against him. She was scared, but… at the same time, being like this was… calming. The two of them didn't bother moving for a while, they didn't even want to talk. They were both scared about the same things, but they trusted each other. That's all that mattered to each other… and it made their bond stronger.

"Hey… let's stop talking about anything Metaverse related for a while." Makoto gently rubbed her cheek against Toya, holding his hand tighter. "I'd rather just be with you tonight, as a regular human… would that be okay?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Takemi Medical Clinic**

Tae walked into her clinic, ready for a long day. She had to examine someone this early in the morning… she didn't feel ready for that yet, but she had a job to do.

"Ten minutes? Okay, I'll leave as soon as she finishes her examination. See you soon." Tae immediately heard Toya's voice as she walked into the clinic. She walked into the examination room, and saw Toya putting his phone in his pocket. "Oh, great timing."

"I heard. Lucky you, you get to get out of here early. By the way… didn't that one girl spend the night here?"

"Yeah. She already left, she couldn't stay here for too long. She has school to attend, after all."

"That makes sense. Well… let's get this over with." Tae began to examine Toya's wounds. He seemed perfectly fine now, thanks to her medicine. "Well, I guess you were right. You were just winded as hell after yesterday."

"So I can go?"

"You're that eager, huh? Well, if that was Sae on the phone, then I don't see any reason why you can't wait for her somewhere else. Yeah, you can go."

"It was her on the phone. Have a good day." Toya quickly walked out of the clinic. He had somewhere he had to go… somewhere important. As he was walking… there was a voice in his head, constantly repeating one line over and over.

"_**Give in to darkness to save her.**_"

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Takemi Medical Clinic**

After examining Toya, Tae's day was incredibly slow, which was both a good and bad thing. She could relax… but at the same time, she was getting close to falling asleep. As she was struggling to stay awake, she heard the sound of someone walking in to the clinic.

"Good morning."

"Oh… Sae Niijima, was it? Is there something you need?"

"I'm here to pick up Toya… remember?"

"...What? You already did that."

"No, I definitely didn't… what makes you think I did?"

"When I got here, I heard Toya on the phone. He said he was talking to you, and that you were picking him up in 10 minutes."

"That little…!" Sae took out her phone, dialing Toya's number and waiting… but there was no answer. "Damn it…! He lied to you. I didn't call him at all this morning."

"What…!? But why would he lie about that…?"

"I don't know. Did he look like he was in a hurry to leave?"

"Yeah, he was. I have no idea where he could have possibly gone though."

"I'm gonna try finding that out." Sae walked out of the clinic, angrily looking at her phone and typing a text to Toya.

SAE: Makoto, have you seen Toya anywhere?

MAKOTO: I saw him at the clinic this morning, but I haven't seen him since. He's certainly not at school.

MAKOTO: I thought you were picking him up?

SAE: I was supposed to, but he's not here.

MAKOTO: What…!?

MAKOTO: Where could he have gone…?

MAKOTO: ...Wait.

MAKOTO: ...Sis, do you know where Akechi is?

SAE: Akechi? He's at a hospital. Why are you asking that?

MAKOTO: You need to get over there. Right now.

SAE: But… why? Would he go there?

MAKOTO: Just go! Toya might be doing something _really_ stupid right now, and you need to make sure he doesn't!

MAKOTO: Check Akechi's room as soon as you get there!

SAE: Okay. I'm going now.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Aoyama-Itchome (Hospital)**

Akechi laid in his bed. He finally got to leave today… and he could get his revenge. He would be able to leak the truth about the Phantom Thieves as soon as he got out, and then… then he could worry about Toya. He needed to deal with him before Toya found a way to prove that Akechi was behind the murders… but that couldn't be too hard. If it came down to it, he could simply assassinate him some time at night, similar to how he did with Ishida. All he needed to do was wait… but as he was waiting, something strange happened. A painful headache overcame him, causing him to close his eyes in pain… and once he opened his eyes, everything around him was… different. Things were slightly tinted red, and the clock wasn't moving at all.

"Glad to see you're in worse shape than I was." Suddenly, a voice called out to him, as he heard footsteps. Someone walked in to his hospital room… wearing a purple bandana that matched the color of his eyes. He slowly took it off, staring at Akechi.

"Toya… I'm surprised you had the courage to confront me yourself. I'm even more surprised that you can already stand."

"I had a good doctor." Toya looked at the state of Akechi. He wasn't that banged up anymore… but he was still clearly in pain. He could tell that he would have problems moving. "Judging by the way things look… you'll probably be released today. I got here in time… that's good." Toya slowly walked closer, looming down over Akechi. "Look at you… so frail. It would be so easy…" Toya's eyes had a golden outline around them for a brief moment, as he pressed one of his hands against Akechi's neck. "I could choke you out, right here. You'd slowly die in this world of cognition that nobody knows about… and there wouldn't even be a trace of you left in the real world. That would be so, so easy…" He took his hand away, smirking as the outline around his eyes disappeared. "But no. I'd be left with a bad taste in my mouth if I did something like that."

"So, what are you gonna do? Do you have another over-the-top plan for killing me, just like you did for changing Sae's heart?"

"Oh, I have something planned for you, all right. But first… there's a gift I have for you." Toya smirked and closed his eyes, reaching into his pocket.

"A gift? What kind of a gift?" Toya chuckled to himself for a moment, as he pulled a purple and black card out of his pocket. Akechi grit his teeth and looked angrily at Toya as he held the card in front of him.

"You could call it a get well soon card of sorts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toya's Confidant Ranks:
> 
> ? ? ? ? ? [HUNGER] - Rank 8  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 7  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 8  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 8  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 7  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	56. HUNGER

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Aoyama-Itchome (Hospital)**

"What the hell is this supposed to be? 'Oh, don't worry Akechi! With the power of friendship, I'll take away the darkness inside your heart and save you!' Is that supposed to be pity!? You piece of shit!"

"Pity? Oh, this is nothing of the sort. This card serves as a test of character- a test of _your_ character."

"A test…? What the hell are you getting at?"

"You can expose the Phantom Thieves. I imagine you're going to try and do that as soon as you get out of here. And then, I'm your next target. With that in mind… I'm giving you a test. Once we're done here, I'm gonna wait around for you to be released. Let's say… 10 minutes after your release, I'll be going in to your Palace. Your choices are simple. You can either ignore me and expose the Phantom Thieves… or you can stop me. That's the test."

"It's hardly a test. I mean really… do you think I care if you change my heart? Even if that were to happen- I would still win!" Toya looked at Akechi, before closing his eyes and chuckling. It eventually devolved into hysterical laughter, echoing around the whole room. "What the hell is so funny!?"

"What's funny is that… you really think your heart is going to be changed! Oh, my dear, dear Akechi…" Toya slowly opened his eyes, his expression changing and becoming much more serious. Along with the serious expression, there was a golden outline around his eyes. "**How stupid can you be? I mean… do you **_**really**_ **think you'll be let off with a simple change of heart and arrest? No…"** Toya slowly moved forward, leaning in and staring right into Akechi's eyes with a demented grin on his face, as he whispered. "**You're going to suffer the same horrific twist of fate that you gave my brother if you don't stop me. The only reason I'm warning you is because shattering your pride just before snuffing your life out would be even **_**more**_ **satisfying for me. Truth be told, I don't care what you choose. You'll be dead by the end of the day regardless."** Toya slowly backed away, snickering to himself before turning around. "**Let's see just what kind of role you'll choose to play in your final act. The choice is all yours."** He put his bandana back on and walked away, leaving Akechi in the Metaverse.

"That damn…!" Akechi grit his teeth and clenched his fist. "Fine… you want a show? I'll give you a show…" A twisted smile appeared on Akechi's face, as he went to grab his phone. "**And I'll give you the plot twist of your life!"**

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya**

SAE: I've looked all over for him…

SAE: He was nowhere near the hospital at all.

MAKOTO: Did you ask if anyone saw him?

SAE: I did. They didn't see anybody who looks like him.

SAE: I'm clueless…

MAKOTO: I'll try to text him…

MAKOTO: I'll tell you if I hear anything.

MAKOTO: Toya…?

MAKOTO: Toya, where are you?

TOYA: Big Bang Burger. The one across the street from my place.

TOYA: Did something happen?

MAKOTO: ...Wait, what?

MAKOTO: Where have you been!?

TOYA: After you left, I got really hungry...

TOYA: Then I realized Akira probably hasn't eaten since Saturday.

TOYA: I figured Tae wouldn't just let me leave, so I made up an excuse.

MAKOTO: Sae has been looking all over for you!

MAKOTO: Did you never answer her text!?

TOYA: My phone died…

TOYA: When I got home, I started charging and took a little nap.

TOYA: Then I woke up and went to Big Bang Burger to get something for Akira.

TOYA: I hadn't even checked my texts until now…

TOYA: Is everything okay?

MAKOTO: ...Yeah. Everything is fine.

MAKOTO: I was just really worried…

TOYA: I'm sorry for worrying you…

TOYA: Here, I'll text Sae right now.

MAKOTO: Okay. thank you.

TOYA: So, let me get this straight.

TOYA: You've been looking for me all morning… and literally _never_ bothered to check my own house?

TOYA: Come on, Sae. What the hell?

SAE: What the hell were you thinking!?

SAE: You didn't even think to tell anyone where you were going!?

TOYA: Well, my phone was dead, so I couldn't really do that.

TOYA: As for what I was thinking…

TOYA: Well, there's someone tied down to a bed in my home who's spent a majority of the past day either unconscious or restrained.

TOYA: He's probably starving. So I'm at Big Bang Burger getting him something to eat.

TOYA: Seriously, Sae. Have some faith in me.

TOYA: I'm not gonna do anything bad.

SAE: …

SAE: Look, I've done a really, really bad job of being a guardian. I've spent a majority of the time time completely neglecting you.

SAE; I want to fix that. I want to be… an actual person relevant to your life.

SAE:Not some… boss figure who spends all of her time pissing you off.

SAE: So please… please just let me try and take care of you. Let me at least _try_ to honor your brother's wishes, please…

TOYA: Sae…

TOYA: Okay. We'll start over from scratch.

TOYA: I'm still gonna live at my place and do my own thing, but…

TOYA: If you want to act as my guardian now, then I'll treat you like you are. Okay?

SAE: Okay… thank you.

SAE: Say.

SAE: Let's do something together tonight. Me, you, and Makoto… as a family.

TOYA: Uh… tonight?

TOYA: I'm busy tonight… maybe tomorrow we can do something?

SAE: What are you doing tonight? We can always just wait until you're done.

TOYA: I'll be busy all night.

TOYA: I'm gonna drop this food off for Akira and get going.

TOYA: See you later.

SAE: Hey, wait!

No answer. Sae sighed and put her phone in her pocket. Whatever Toya was doing… he seemed like he had full intentions of doing things alone. She looked over to where Toya's house was… but then noticed something. There was someone wearing a purple bandana, walking away from it. A purple bandana… Sae remembered that from when Makoto told her everything that happened with Kaneshiro. When Toya went to confront him, he went in wearing a purple bandana to conceal his identity. Not to mention… this person Sae saw had the same height and hair as Toya did. This had to be him… but where was he going? He said he was going home from Big Bang Burger, but… he seemed like if anything, all he was doing was leaving. He was going somewhere… but where? She wasn't sure in the slightest, but she had to figure out. Toya wouldn't lie for no reason… there had to be something serious going on- especially if he was walking around wearing a bandana. She decided to follow him from a distance, just to make sure he wasn't up to anything suspicious.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Daytime - Takemi Medical Clinic**

Toya was mentally prepared to stake out the hospital where Akechi was staying and wait for him to get out, but there was something he had to do first. He was being genuine when he said he was going to give Akira food, but he already did that. There was one more thing he needed… and he could only get it from Tae's clinic. Her medicine was incredibly effective… and there was a chance he'd need some. He stared at the building from the outside, before taking his phone out. Since Mementos was the Palace of the general public… technically, he could access it from anywhere. That's how he was able to accidentally enter the Metaverse when he first found the app on his phone… and it was a useful method of transportation.

After walking into an alley where nobody could see him and tapping the button on his phone, he transported into the Metaverse, still standing right in front of the clinic. He slowly walked inside, making his way directly into the examination room, without Tae noticing a single thing. He walked into the examination room and looked around for a bit, before finding what he was looking for… a vial of medicine. He was only going to take one originally, but there were three, so he decided that it would be better for him to just take all of them in case he needed them. It was an even better find than he even needed… things were finally going his way. He turned around and left the clinic, walking back to the alley he entered the Metaverse from and returning to the real world. He grinned as he held the three closed vials of medicine in his hands… before putting them in his pocket and going off. He had everything he needed now, so he just had to wait.

However, he wasn't being as stealthy as he thought. Without him ever noticing, Sae Niijima was following him and watching all of his movements. She even saw him blink out of reality and then reappear minutes later, and she saw the medicine he was holding. Stealing medicine… he was up to something.

SAE: Makoto.

SAE: Something is wrong… really wrong.

MAKOTO: What's wrong?

SAE: Toya just stole medicine from Tae Takemi's medical clinic.

SAE: When he said he was going home, he was actually leaving to come here.

MAKOTO: What…!?

MAKOTO: But why!?

SAE: I'm not sure yet.

SAE: I'm gonna keep following him to try and figure that out.

SAE: But… I have a feeling it has to do with Akechi.

SAE: I want you to get into contact with the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

SAE: If Toya is willing to steal medicine… then he's doing something risky.

SAE: He may even want revenge for his brother…

MAKOTO: Oh, God…

MAKOTO: I'll get everyone caught up before school ends.

SAE: Okay.

SAE: Once school ends, I'll tell you all where he is.

SAE: I want you all to show up as soon as possible.

SAE: We can't let him do anything crazy… anything he'll regret.

MAKOTO: Okay.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Lunchtime - Shujin Academy**

MAKOTO: We have a new problem…

FUTABA: Seriously? Things can still get worse?

FUTABA: We're already down our leader…

MAKOTO: We don't have confirmation of this yet, but…

MAKOTO: Me and my sister think Toya is going into Akechi's Palace.

ANN: Is that a bad thing?

ANN: I mean, don't we _want_ Akechi's heart to be changed?

MAKOTO: That's the problem…

MAKOTO: Akechi is the one who killed Toya's brother, and his father.

MAKOTO: And he's not telling anyone what he's doing. My sister has been following him all day.

MAKOTO: He even snuck out of the clinic early, and then went back to steal medicine by using the Metaverse.

MAKOTO: So… considering everything, between how secretive he's being and the grudge he has…

HARU: You don't think…!

MAKOTO: I do. I think he's going to try and kill Akechi.

RYUJI: For real!? He's gonna go _that_ far!?

RYUJI: He was talking about trying to save us yesterday, now he wants to suddenly kill somebody!? No way!

FUTABA: He said that Mephisto sends his mind into a frenzy, right…?

FUTABA: Do you think this is something similar…?

YUSUKE: It's most certainly possible.

YUSUKE: He was being much more reckless while fighting against us after summoning Mephisto, yet he was just as crafty as always.

YUSUKE: What should we do? Can we stop him?

MAKOTO: My sister is still following. She wants us to come to her as soon as school is over.

HARU: We should all go.

FUTABA: Mona agrees.

MAKOTO: Oh, he's staying with you?

FUTABA: It's easiest for him.

ANN: Tell us as soon as your sister tells you where to go. We'll all come.

MAKOTO: Right!

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**After School - Aoyama-Itchome (Hospital)**

Toya was ready. Everything that had gone on for the past few months was leading up to this day… to Akechi's takedown. He was prepared for this… and for everything that would come after. Nothing could change his mind anymore- he was more than ready to do what he had to do. He sat on a bench and checked the time… it wouldn't be too long before Akechi's release.

"Kind of an odd place to sit around, don't you think?" Toya's hair stood up on his neck as he heard a voice call out to him. He turned around to see Sae Niijima, along with everyone else right behind her.

"The gang's all here…" Toya got up and looked towards everyone. "Is there something you guys need?"

"We know what you're up to, Toya." Haru walked in front of everyone else, speaking up.

"You're not being yourself at all… you're keeping everything a secret from me and moving around while we're at school- you even stole medicine from Tae's clinic…!" Makoto's words hit a sensitive spot for Toya. Out of everyone, she was the person who he really didn't want to see here… confronting him for what he's going to do.

"I'm only doing what's necessary. I'm not letting Akechi hurt anyone else."

"By doing things yourself…!? Do you know how dangerous that is!?" Morgana jumped out of a bag that Futaba was holding, standing beside Makoto and Haru.

"Do you know how dangerous it is for multiple of us to confront him!? You all saw what happened to Akira, didn't you? If he did that to any of you, you'd end up the same way! I'm the only one with enough experience with suffering psychotic breakdowns to actually do something to him if he tries it on me!"

"That doesn't make what you're doing any less reckless! I've watched you sneak around Tokyo all day trying to prepare for this! Haven't you considered what could happen if this goes badly?" It was Sae that brought them all here… that made sense.

"I…" Toya panned his eyes away from everyone else. He did consider it, but… he still felt bad, leaving everyone in the dark.

"Our leader is the one who's suffering through this entire thing! You can't just take the entire burden on yourself!"

"We all hate the same guy. Why can't we just work together to stop him!?"

"You haven't gotten this far from working alone! Why do you insist on turning your back on that and taking on Akechi without any help?"

"If Akechi is gonna make an enemy of our leader, then every single one of us is gonna make an enemy of him!" Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba all spoke up together, the entire group staring Toya down.

"You guys…" Toya looked towards all of them again, sighing and closing his eyes for a moment. "I already sent Akechi his calling card this morning. So if you guys really want to tag along, you better be ready now. We'll go in later today."

"Why aren't we going in now?" Morgana asked, giving Toya a puzzled look.

"Akechi has the upper hand right now, due to the fact that he has evidence on you guys as the Phantom Thieves. We need him to be preoccupied as soon as he's released from the hospital, otherwise he can leak it. He doesn't want his heart to change, so he's going to come in to the Palace to try and stop us."

"Wait- we're baiting him into his own Palace? Won't we just have to fight him then?" Haru asked, a worried look on her face.

"It's not too late to back out." Toya turned around, looking toward the hospital. "I need to go use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"We're not letting you out of our sight that easy!" Sae's voice was as stern and fierce as ever. Toya simply sighed in response.

"Follow me and wait outside of the bathroom then." With that said, Toya started walking inside, with everyone else following behind him. He walked into the bathroom and went into one of the stalls, closing the door behind him. He stood still for a moment… he knew what he had to do. Everyone would be mad at him for this, and he knew that fully well- but that didn't change the fact that he couldn't afford to let anyone else enter Akechi's Palace but him. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he did. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out his bandana, putting it on and concealing part of his face. He then reached into his other pocket and pulled out his phone, waited for a moment… and then entered Mementos from the stall.

"Hasn't he been in there for a while?" Ann pointed out, after they had all waited outside for 5 or so minutes. Ryuji and Yusuke walked inside and knocked on the door to the one closed stall.

"Toya? Are you alright in there?" Yusuke asked while knocking, but there was no answer. Confused, Ryuji got down to the ground and looked underneath the door… and there was nothing. He couldn't even see Toya's shoes. He walked into the stall right next to it and stood atop the toilet seat to be absolutely sure, and… he was right. Toya was gone.

"He's not even in here! Where the hell did he go!?" They both ran outside, looking at everyone else. "He's gone!"

"What!? Where could he have gone!?" Sae asked, before coming to a sudden realization. "The Metaverse…! Earlier today, he blinked out of reality to get into the clinic and steal the medicine from the clinic… he must have done the same thing again! He was planning this from the start!"

"What!?" Makoto quickly pulled out her phone upon hearing this.

MAKOTO: Toya…

MAKOTO: Why!? Why are you doing this!?

TOYA: I'm sorry, Makoto. I really am.

TOYA: I don't want to lie to trick any of you guys like this… especially not you.

TOYA: But I can't risk anyone else getting hurt. I can't risk letting what happened to Akira happen to anyone else.

TOYA: I really hope you can understand that.

TOYA: And if you can't… then I don't really know what to say at that point…

TOYA: I'm sorry.

"He couldn't have gone far, right? We should go after him!" Haru exclaimed, with everyone agreeing. They unanimously decided that the best course of action was to split up and find Toya. Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke and Haru went into the Metaverse to look for him, with the boys staying on the first floor and the girls staying on the second. Meanwhile, in the real world, Futaba and Morgana checked to make sure he didn't try to hide in the real world after running away by staying on the first floor, while Makoto and Sae went to the second floor.

Meanwhile, while they were all searching… Toya stood in the real world, in the monitor room where he could look at security camera footage. He swapped between realities and watched everyone searching for him, but his main concern wasn't them… he was most interested in Akechi. He wanted to watch Akechi. There was a nurse in his room, and by the looks of things… he was just about ready to leave. He then noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sae was about to walk into Akechi's room… probably to search for him. It was a good guess, to be fair. Either way, Toya had to go soon. Sae might not have been on her way, but Makoto was… and if there was anyone he couldn't bare to look at, it was her. He quickly tapped the button on his phone to get back into the Metaverse and exited the security room.

"There you are!" Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice call out to him. He turned his head to see Haru on the opposite side of the hallway, and noticed that Ann was just a few feet away from him. Haru looked towards the stairway and began to yell. "Ryuji! Yusuke! Up here!"

"You guys really don't know how to thank someone for trying to keep you safe…"

"Why are you avoiding help!? Don't you see how risky doing this alone will be!?"

"Ann, didn't you listen!? You're basically begging to watch another one of your friends turn psychotic!"

"We'll deal with that together! You can't take him down alone, why don't you get that!?"

"I **CAN** take him down on my own. I would've done it if Akira wasn't turned psychotic! But guess what? If nobody is there, I don't have to worry about that! This is **LITERALLY** the best course of action!" Toya yelled out to her, but it was clear that she wasn't going to listen. He grit his teeth, and then heard the sound of people running upstairs… that had to be Ryuji and Yusuke. "Damn it… fine. If this is the game you wanna play… be my guest!" Toya started suddenly charging in Ann's direction. Since there were no Shadows around, he wasn't in his Metaverse attire, so he didn't have access to his hookshot… but he was nimble enough to get by on his own. Ann got herself in a position to kick Toya… but she wasn't a fighter like he was. Her movements were easy to read… and more importantly, easy to counter. Ann raised her leg and tried to kick him, but Toya simply caught her leg as it was raised in the air. He didn't want to hurt her… but he needed her to get out of the way. He pulled her in and got out of the way, swapping places with her. She wasn't trapped in between everyone anymore… but instead, he had a window available to him. He turned towards it and covered his face with his arms. He jumped as he reached it, and went straight through, breaking the window and making his way to the ground. He was in pain… but he made distance. Now that he was outside, he took out one of the three vials of medicine and drank it, healing his wounds. He looked up to the window he broke and saw everyone looking out of it, and saw them get ready to jump out as well… but it was too late. He took out his phone and blinked out of this reality, returning to the real world. "_It's getting late… I probably have about 15 minutes left to get into Akechi's Palace._" He thought to himself, and then started to run off. He needed to get away to make more distance between himself and the hospital, effectively escaping everyone.

Meanwhile, the group that went into the Metaverse returned back to the real world. They couldn't see Toya anywhere… he was long gone.

ANN: He got away…

FUTABA: He did!? How?

RYUJI: The maniac jumped out of a window to get away from us!

YUSUKE: And thanks to the medicine, he did it without even getting hurt.

HARU: I'm glad he didn't get hurt, but…

HARU: How are we going to stop him?

MAKOTO: There's only one option left…

MAKOTO: We'll have to meet him in Akechi's Palace.

ANN: Do you know his keywords!?

MAKOTO: No, I don't. But…

MAKOTO: We have just over 10 minutes to figure them out.

YUSUKE: Actually, I have an idea as to what it might be.

YUSUKE: Let's meet in Shibuya.

FUTABA: Going now!

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

"Alright… you said you have an idea, Yusuke?" Ryuji asked while putting his hands in his pockets. He looked around and didn't see Toya anywhere… it was getting concerning.

"I do. Goro's Akechi's Palace is most likely a coliseum."

"Match found." The Nav rang out as soon as Yusuke said the word, surprising everyone else.

"How did you figure this out…!?" Makoto was no exception to this. She had been trying to figure out Akechi's keyword for months, but… she never got it down, and she never guessed coliseum."

"While we were in Toya's house to deliver Akira and were looking for something to restrain him with, I found a piece of paper along with the one I told you about. It had various words written and crossed out on it, but there was one at the very top that was emphasized more than all the rest… and that was it." Yusuke looked towards everyone else, before giving them all a questioning look. "Wait… wasn't Sae Niijima with us? Where did she go?"

"I haven't seen Sis anywhere… I've been texting her for hours. She hasn't responded… it's unlike her to disappear without saying anything."

"Well, she's an adult, right? I'm sure she can handle herself." Haru reassured Makoto, leaving everyone else to worry exclusively about getting into Akechi's Palace.

"We still need to figure out what Akechi's location is. Do any of you have an idea as to what it is?" Morgana asked, feeling clueless himself.

"I got nothin'."

"I didn't see any hints in Toya's room…"

"It could be anything, couldn't it…?"

"I'm afraid I don't have anything either…" Ryuji, Yusuke, Makoto, and Haru were all clueless.

"Can it really be anywhere…!? What if we can't get there in time!?" Ann was starting to panic at the thought of everything being a waste.

"No, we'll definitely be able to get there. I mean, Toya waited around so long to go in, right? So we should know for sure that it's definitely _somewhere_ in Tokyo, right? I doubt it can be anywhere else-"

"Match found." Futaba was cut off by the sound of Yusuke's phone going off.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Futaba asked, snatching the phone out of Yusuke's hands. "Tokyo…? Wait, Akechi's location… is all of Tokyo…!? But how!?"

"Who cares!? We gotta go in, now!" Ryuji was in a panic, as Yusuke took his phone back.

"Are we all ready then? We shouldn't waste any more time. Toya's probably already there." Yusuke spoke, as everyone present nodded in response. He tapped the button on his phone, and they all slowly transported from the real world to the world of cognition.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Outskirts)**

The group all appeared together in the new Palace, and right away… they saw it. A massive coliseum, towering over everyone. They also noticed that they weren't in their Metaverse attire… which meant they weren't seen as threats yet, to their surprise.

"Welcome, outsiders. Are you here for the main event?" A Shadow spoke to them, standing still at the entrance.

"We're looking for someone. Have you seen a guy pass through here with purple eyes?" Ryuji asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Purple eyes? Ah… I see. You're speaking of the guest of honor! His fight will begin shortly. Are you all friends of his?"

"Friends…? Oh, yes! We know each other quite well!" Ann tried acting, but… her work was questionable at best, as per usual. However, for some reason… it still worked.

"Excellent. Please, allow me to escort you to the VIP area. You may watch in leisure." The Shadow slowly walked inside, as the group reluctantly followed to a special area away from the rest of the seats. They felt uneasy just following like this, but… they couldn't fight Shadows without their Personas or weapons. They had no choice but to just be obedient and play along.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Grand Arena)**

Meanwhile, on the main stage, Toya was already preparing himself for the fight to come. This would probably be the hardest fight of his life… but he had to stay strong, especially mentally. He started looking around the seats, seeing all of the faceless Shadows waiting to watch the fight… but then, he noticed something. Among the seats… there was a special VIP area… and it didn't have Shadows in it. Instead, it had all of the Phantom Thieves… including Makoto and Haru. His eyes widened in absolute shock and a bit of terror once he saw them. "_Those idiots! What the hell are they doing here!?_" Toya made direct eye contact with Makoto. He was filled with guilt upon seeing the hurt look in her eyes… but he couldn't look for long. Before he knew it, he was suddenly in his Metaverse attire, as loud instruments began to play throughout the arena.

"Ladies and gentleman! The show of the century is just about to get underway! Let's hear a round of applause for our guest of honor, Toya Kazero!" The crowd erupted in applause. It was shocking, how many mindless Shadows there were… was this really how Akechi saw society? As people just waiting around for someone to be killed, then cheer it on and beg for even more of it to happen. It was sick and twisted, but… that fit him a little too well. "And now, his opponent… the true champion of our arena, put your hands together for Goro Akechi!" The crowd got even louder as suddenly, Toya noticed a figure jumping down from the sky, landing on the ground and slowly walking forward.

"You actually came… I'm surprised. I was starting to think you'd force me to fight your Shadow instead."

"Please. You invited me to a duel in my own Palace. How could I possibly decline such an invitation?" Akechi started to laugh as he looked around, noticing the group in the VIP area. "You brought guests?"

"They invited themselves. I wanted to do this alone, but they showed up regardless."

"How interesting." Akechi began to chuckle to himself while staring at them. "Understand this, Phantom Thieves! By no means are any of you to interfere with this battle!"

"Yeah!? And what if we do, asshole!?" Ryuji yelled out, causing Akechi to laugh. Then, once he stopped laughing, he snapped his fingers, causing a curtain on the other side of the arena to slowly rise. Behind it was none other than Sae Niijima, chained up to a wall with her eyes closed.

"S-Sis!?"

"Sae!? You brought her into the Metaverse!? You're out of your mind!" Toya yelled at Akechi, but he began to laugh once again.

"Nonsense. This is simply me ensuring that this stays as a fair fight. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You're messed up in the head…" Toya materialized his blade in his hands as he stared at Akechi, covering part of his face with it. "Let's not waste anymore time."

"I agree. There is no need to speak any longer." Akechi's rapier materialized in his hands, as he and Toya stared at each other.

"Tensions are higher than ever, folks! The destined battle of the ages is about to take place! So now, without any further adieu…" The announcer paused for a moment, as the sound of a finger snap echoes throughout the coliseum. "LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 58
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.
> 
> Robin Hood  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Kougaon - Heavy Bless damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Megidola - Heavy Almighty damage to all foes.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	57. Pandemonium (1 of 3)

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Grand Arena)**

With the announcer's exclamation, Toya and Akechi grit their teeth and charged into each other, gripping their blades tightly. The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the room as they swung their blades at each other, gritting their teeth as they tried pushing against each other. After a momentary struggle, Toya got the better of Akechi. With one more push, Akechi was knocked back, allowing Toya to fight more aggressively. He took a step forward with every slash, forcing Akechi to block and dodge out of the way.

"So, what? We're just supposed to watch them fight?" Ryuji asked, still focused on the action going on at ground level.

"I don't think we can really do anything from here, can we?" Ann replied. She wasn't as interested in the action, but… it was still interesting to see.

"Panther's right. We just have to make sure nothing bad happens at this point. Even if Akechi betrayed us… he shouldn't die for it." Morgana watched the fight closer than Ann did, but not as close as Ryuji.

"I doubt we'll have to worry about Toya's fate. He seems to be superior in a fight… not only that, but he's being much more forward than I've ever seen before." Yusuke had a bit of an interest in watching. There was a certain art to the fight that was taking place… he couldn't quite explain it, but something about the struggle between the two of them… it intrigued him.

"He started being aggressive against us when he knew he was stronger than us. Maybe he just thinks he's stronger than Akechi." She tried to hide it, but deep down… Futaba was just as excited to watch this fight as Ryuji was.

"That definitely shows… Toya seems to be both faster and stronger than Akechi right now. I just hope it lasts…" Haru was worried for the outcome. Even if Toya won… what would he do to Akechi? She didn't forgive Akechi herself, so the emotions running through Toya's mind… she couldn't even imagine how crazy they were.

Among the group, there was actually one person who couldn't even stand to watch the fight… that being Makoto. Normally she'd love to cheer Toya on in a situation like this, but… after the rollercoaster of emotions she's gone through, along with her sister being kept prisoner… she didn't even know what to do. Part of her wanted to believe in Toya, but the other was furious with him for deceiving everyone the way he did just to try and handle things on his own. He wasn't acting like himself… he normally wouldn't do any of this. All of this, along with what was going on with her sister… it put her mind in a weird spot that she couldn't even describe with words.

Meanwhile, in the arena, the fight raged on. Toya overpowered Akechi time and time again, putting Akechi in a spot where he had no choice but to change his strategy. He jumped away and pulled out his ray gun, taking aim at Toya and firing at him. Toya quickly dodged out of the blast, and began to run around as Akechi started unloading his ammo onto him. Akechi's ammo supply was limited… eventually, he'd have to stop to reload. Toya kept dodging while counting… listening to every single shot fired at him.

"_Five… Six…_" There was a pause, and then a different sound came from Akechi's gun, before he started firing again. "_Six shots. He can fire six shots before he has to reload. That means…_" He knew what his opening was to get in safely. He wanted to play this right… he didn't want to give Akechi any advantages at all. He looked towards Akechi and saw him raise his gun at him again. He calmed down for a moment, clearing his head of doubt before he started dodging around the room.

"You can aim better than that, can't you!?" Toya taunted Akechi, smirking while dodging around the arena. Akechi grit his teeth and focused, trying to get a better shot at Toya. But no matter how hard he tried… he couldn't land a shot. Toya was too fast for him, and it angered him even more than he wanted to admit. He fired 5 shots in a row, and was down to his last. Toya was waiting for this moment. "What's wrong? You can kill CEOs and ace detectives, but you can't land a shot on some high schooler!? Are you _that_ much of a disappointment!?"

"**QUIET!" **Akechi yelled as he fired his last shot. His anger was making him sloppy… and Toya saw right through it. He quickly dodged out of the way, evading Akechi's last bullet.

"_There!_" Toya thought to himself, as he fired his hookshot in Akechi's direction. It landed on the ground near Akechi's feet, and as a result, Toya was pulled towards it. Akechi grunted and tried firing at Toya, but he didn't even realize that he burned through all of his ammo so quickly. Without having a chance to counterattack at all, Akechi was hit with the brute force of Toya's fist smashing right against his cheek, the impact of the punch proving to be more than enough to send Akechi straight down, making a loud impact as his body collided with the ground. Before Akechi could pull himself up, Toya delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending Akechi rolling across the ground.

"Tch… You're stronger than I gave you credit for..." Akechi slowly pulled himself up. He was hurt, but… not enough for it to really affect him.

"You expected less? What, would you rather have forced your way into my Palace and taken the easy way out?"

"Of course not… not anymore. You escaped death after all…" Akechi chuckled to himself for a moment, before putting one hand on his mask. "I wouldn't give up my chance to massacre you with my own two hands!" A flame erupted on Akechi's face as he suddenly summoned his Persona. "Take him down… Robin Hood!" Robin Hood reeled its bow back, taking aim at Toya and firing.

"Reveal yourself, Diabolos!" Before Akechi's attack could go through, Toya summoned his own Persona and shot a massive bullet forward. The two attacks collided with each other, exploding into a cloud of smoke. "So that's the Persona you showed everyone else. Christ… it looks as dorky you do." Toya spoke through the cloud of smoke as it slowly dissipated, staring at Akechi in disappointment.

"Get your laughs in while you can. They won't last for long!" Akechi extended one arm out and covered part of his face with the other. Suddenly, a pillar of light began to form underneath Toya. His eyes widened before he quickly jumped away, just barely escaping the attack.

"_This bastard has light magic? Damn it… if it's anything like it was with Ishida, I'm a goner if that hits me…_" Toya grit his teeth before firing his hookshot to a wall and swinging around, keeping distance from Akechi while rethinking his strategy. "_But, if he can use white magic… then his weakness…_" Toya quickly realized the truth of what was going on. Robin Hood had a weakness… and it had to be dark magic, the same kind that he could use. "_I just need to get in without him hitting me with his magic… if I can do that, I'll have a chance to hit him with my magic… I can end things quickly if I do that._"

"Kill him… PERSONA!" Akechi yelled out as his Persona started rapidly attacking. Toya bounced off of walls and used his hookshot to maneuver around the arena, dodging countless attacks from Akechi. He was attacking relentlessly… some of the attacks ended up hitting the Shadows that were in the crowd. He was really starting to lose his cool… this soon. That meant he'd keep getting sloppy… and Toya could continue to exploit it.

"Seriously, that hookshot isn't fair at all! It's super OP!" Futaba started watching even closer as she spoke.

"Why's he get all the cool shit? I wanna zip around like that!" Ryuji was very open about being jealous… everything Toya had was so flashy for no reason.

"You probably wouldn't be smart enough to use that as well as he does, Skull." Ann chimed in while sighing, resting against a wall.

"Come to think of it, couldn't you swing around similarly to him with a whip, Panther?" Yusuke asked, starting to gain more interest in the fight.

"That's way too dangerous! Her whip is nowhere near long enough for that!"

"It'd be a lot harder for her to swing around like that. Especially since she doesn't have any practice…"Morgana and Haru were quick to point out the danger in Yusuke's recommendation. Though… Ann was certainly tempted to try it at some point.

"_He's showing off again…?_" Makoto peeked through the window. She saw Toya, zipping around the coliseum, which seemed pointless to everyone else. However… at this point, Makoto knew how Toya thought. "_You have a reason for everything you do… this is no different. You must've found a way to get an advantage by zipping around like this…_" Makoto gently sighed, before looking over at her sister, who was still unconscious. "_How did you get dragged into this too, Sis…?_" More than anything else, she was just worried for her sister. If she was hurt, or worse… Makoto would be completely lost.

"Do you really plan on dodging all day!? You're starting to really piss me off here!" Akechi's voice was getting more and more distraught… he was starting to get really desperate.

"Here I was, thinking you killed my brother… but with aim like that, I doubt you could have done anything to his Shadow if you even tried to!"

"What…!?"

"You're gonna massacre me? You can't even touch me! Your confidence and ability is just as fabricated as your work as a detective!" Toya continued taunting Akechi, progressively getting closer to the ground as he zipped around the room.

"Damn you…!" Akechi's true colors began showing even more as he clenched his fists tightly, angrily staring at Toya. "**DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" **Suddenly, a pink beam began to rise around him. This was him charging up… his next attack would be exceptionally powerful, but he'd be open right after it. "**I… will KILL you!" **He screamed, as his Persona began drawing its bow… this was Toya's chance. He waited in place for a moment, just until the blast was shot out… and at the very moment it was, Toya aimed at the ground with his hookshot and zipped down to the ground, to everyone's surprise- especially Akechi's.

"Open fire, Diabolos!" Toya quickly ripped off his mask while pulling his hookshot out of the ground, staring at Akechi as Diabolos began firing bullet after bullet at Akechi's feet. Seeing this, Akechi had no choice but to jump into the air to dodge the bullets, looking down at Toya while he rose in the air. "**YOU'RE OPEN!" **Toya yelled out, as he suddenly fired his hookshot straight at Akechi. It punctured his chest- not enough to mortally wound him, but enough to get stuck in his skin. However, instead of dragging himself towards Akechi, Toya raised his fist into the air and quickly brought it down, effectively smashing Akechi against the ground. Akechi grunted in pain as his back was forced against the hard ground, sending a shock through his entire body.

"You piece of shi-" Akechi tried to speak, but he was suddenly cut off. Diabolos' formless body formed an a hand that grabbed Akechi by his face, squeezing down on it. Akechi looked in despair at the formless shadow… with silver eyes and a demented smile of the same color, sending a chill down his spine.

"Mission accomplished." Toya spoke softly as he looked away, before Diabolos suddenly unleashed a blast of dark magic out of the hand that it gripped Akechi with. The blast was enough to send Akechi flying away, causing him to crash down onto the floor and helplessly spin out across the floor before coming to a stop, his face pressed against the floor.

"Ugh… my head…" Sae slowly came to her senses, opening her eyes, and quickly realizing she had no idea where she was. "Where the hell…!?" She tried moving her arms, but then realized that she was chained to the wall, and couldn't even move. "What is this!?"

"S-Sis!" Makoto called out to Sae, staring right at her from the VIP area.

"Makoto…? Where the hell are we!?"

"It's… the Metaverse."

"The Metaverse…!? But how did I-" Before she could continue questioning things, she got a glimpse of what was taking place at ground level. "Is that Akechi… and… Toya…!?" Sae was shocked beyond belief at what she saw. Akechi was bloody and bruised… while Toya seemed completely fine, barely even winded. She was in a complete state of shock.

"Damn it…!" Akechi tried picking himself up, but he was in so much pain from that blast… his entire body ached.

"Give it up. You're already finished." Toya made his way closer to Akechi, looming over him with a fierce look on his face.

"I'll kill you… You're gonna die…!" Akechi coughed up a bit of blood, slamming his fist against the floor. "Damn it…!"

"I told you, give up! You're just gonna hurt yourself even more if you try-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Akechi slammed his fists against the ground, before slowly picking himself up, managing to stand on his own two feet, even though he was hunched over. "Why am I inferior to you…!? I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image, so someone would want me around! I am an ace detective… a celebrity! But you… you're just some no name trash without even a fraction of my popularity! So how…!? How does someone like you have things I don't!? How can such a worthless piece of trash be more special than me!?"

"Special? What the hell makes you think you're even remotely special!?" Toya lifted his blade and pointed it at Akechi, gritting his eyes with a furious look in his eyes. "You didn't earn the spots you were given! You just killed the people ahead of you so you could take their spots, like you did with my brother! You're literal human garbage in its purest form!" Toya started losing his temper as he yelled, venting out all of his frustrations with Akechi that had built up over the months all at once.

"This argument is **meaningless…!**" Akechi clenched his fists together tightly, before a red flame suddenly burned around him, and as it did, an entirely different outfit appeared on his body.

"What was that…!?"

"A black mask…!" Suddenly, flashbacks of what Madarame said rushed through the minds of the Phantom Thieves… the black masked Metaverse user.

"And there it is… your true colors. The side of you that you chose to hide from the world to gain your bullshit fame!" Toya yelled again, as Akechi started to _actually_ lose his mind, beginning to laugh maniacally.

"Oh, this is great… I'm surprised… this is actually a first for me. I might even have to try my hardest against you. You know, I just came up with a fun little idea… I wonder how far I can go with this…"

"What, you haven't had enough of a beating yet?" Toya gripped his blade tightly, still staring at Akechi.

"You wanted to see my powers, didn't you? Fine… I'll show them to you!" Akechi started laughing again, as his voice and fake personality began to deteriorate more and more. "I've never felt like this before! To hell with it… I don't care about being more special than you…" Akechi tilted his head slightly, as his eyes began to slowly become bloodshot. "All I care about now is killing you… **TO PROVE I'M BETTER THAN YOU!" **The red flame around Akechi appeared for a brief moment once again as he yelled.

"Fine… try me!" Toya held his blade out in front of him, preparing himself for another round.

"Here… I'll show you who I really am." The red flame didn't disappear this time, as traces of it slowly rose around Akechi, with the sound of bones crunching and twisting coming from him. "Come! **LOKI!" **He extended his arms outward as he yelled, the red flame growing bigger than ever as his true Persona was summoned.

"That damn Persona again…!" Toya planted his feet into the ground, staring directly at Loki. Akechi started yelling as his body was covered by a red and black liquid.

"Don't make me laugh! Justice? Judgement!? **Keep that shit to yourself! Power is ALL that matters in this world!" **Akechi grabbed on to his face and began wobbling back and forth, his body twitching uncontrollably. "You're going down… I'll destroy you… **GO DOWN WITH ME!" **He yelled once more, as a red and black aura exploded around him, sending out a pressure that everyone in the audience could feel.

"What the hell is this…!?" Sae said, as she was exposed to something she had never seen before- it was something completely alien to her.

"No way…!"

"That bastard… He made himself go psychotic!" The entirety of the Phantom Thieves were in shock- even Makoto and Haru, who had known about Akechi's true self for much longer than the rest of them. While they were all in shock, Akechi was maniacally laughing, looking up into the air with his arms extended outward.

"**The stage is set, Toya! I'm going to rip you apart one piece at a time, in front of your previous friends!" **Akechi's entire personality became demented as his body shook, still laughing to himself while staring directly at Toya.

"You've really gone off the deep end…" Toya gripped his blade as tightly as he could with one hand, pointing at Akechi with a blue flame appearing on his face, as he gripped his mask with the other hand. "**COME ON THEN!"**

"**DIIIIIIIIIE!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 58
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Loki  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Call of Chaos - Causes target to go psychotic.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Blazing Hell - Severe Fire damage to all foes.  
Ice Age - Severe Ice damage to all foes.  
Doomsday - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.


	58. Pandemonium (2 of 3)

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Grand Arena)**

With a frenzied look in his eyes, Akechi charged straight into Toya, going faster than ever, with an unstoppable bloodlust controlling him. With a tight grip on to his red, serrated sword, he quickly slashed twice in Toya's direction. Toya grit his teeth as he held his blade out, blocking the two attacks. Akechi snickered to himself as he reeled his arm back, before stabbing straight forward. Toya quickly jumped back, just barely evading Akechi's attack.

"_Damn it… he's gotten even stronger than I thought he would._" Toya shot a glare at Akechi. He was holding on to his face, moving his hands all around it with a psychotic smile. "_Not only that, but he's being way more aggressive already… I need to think of a strategy, or else he'll-_"

"**EAT THIIIIIIS!" **Without any warning, Akechi had suddenly ripped his mask off, summoning his Persona, which had a massive red blade floating in front of it. It was raised into the air and quickly sent straight towards Toya.

"DIABOLOS!" Quickly summoning his Persona, Toya fired a blast of dark magic straight towards Akechi's attack, while moving out of the way. As he got away, he got a glimpse of Akechi's attack… it cut right through the blast like it was nothing.

"_Damn it…! That Persona is way stronger than his other one!_" Toya looked to a nearby wall and fired his hookshot directly at it, zipping towards it and keeping his distance, still staring at Akechi from far away. "_I need a plan… fighting him head on is risky when he's like this… I don't know if he's faster than I am yet, but if he is, then he can easily just-_"

"**You think you can just run away…!?" **Akechi had an angered look on his face, as he gripped his mask tightly. "**FREEZE, YOU FOOL!" **He ripped off his mask as he yelled, before suddenly, a massive shard of ice began to form above Toya, falling straight down. With quick thinking, Toya yanked his hook out of the wall and kicked himself off of it, narrowly escaping the impact of it.

"_He won't give me a chance to think of a plan… fine. I just need to have more confidence!_" Toya aimed his hookshot to the ground beneath him and quickly zipped down to the floor, as the shard of ice fell beneath him. The ice looked sturdy, but… it could be broken if enough force was let out onto it. He couldn't exert nearly enough force to do that.. At least, not right now. If he put enough power into it then he probably could, but if he took the time to do that… Akechi could probably just kill him.

"Fine. You wanna fight!?" Toya ripped off his mask, causing a blue flame to erupt around him. "LET'S GO THEN!"

"**Finally! FIGHT ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!" **Toya and Akechi rushed into each other, gripping their blades tightly and swinging straight at each other. However, unlike the beginning of their fight, Toya didn't have a clear advantage over Akechi. Akechi had an advantage in terms of sheer power, but… Toya was still smarter. Akechi wasn't thinking straight, he just wanted bloodshed… and as a result, he was reckless, and left openings in his fighting. He just needed to find a big one… one that he could capitalize off of.

"He's still keeping up with Akechi…? I thought Akechi got a power boost or something?" Ryuji was skeptical as to what exactly was going on. It seemed like Akechi should have been winning, but… he wasn't. Toya was managing to keep up with him.

"He definitely did. He never used any of those moves while he was working with us." Ann was gaining interest now that Akechi's true colors were being shown. It was as if he was a completely different person… that's for sure.

"It seems as if that Persona represents the part of himself that he hid from us… could that be his true self?" Yusuke lost a lot of interest in the fight itself. Instead, he wanted to know more about Akechi's true self… the self he hid from everyone else.

"But then… that doesn't even make sense! How can you have two different Personas that are completely different from each other if a Persona is supposed to represent someone's true self…?" Nobody had an answer to Futaba's question. Everyone just… looked at each other in confusion.

"I think… it's like what Mephisto is to Toya." Makoto spoke up, as she slowly walked forward to get a better view of the fight, focusing on Akechi. "The way his eyes are completely bloodshot… the way his voice is so hoarse all of a sudden, and that… really unsettling twitching. That's exactly what happens to Toya whenever Mephisto comes out."

"But… I thought Diabolos was his 'main' Persona? How did he obtain Mephisto?" Haru asked, and… Makoto's expression turned extremely somber for a moment, as her gaze turned from Akechi to Toya.

"When we went into Ishida's Palace, we… got close to dying. But then… Ishida told Toya that he's the one who ordered not only the death of his brother, but… also his parents. When he said that, something inside of him… snapped. That's how Mephisto was created."

"So it was made… from his grief…?" Morgana looked closer at Toya. He was… one of the most interesting people he knew. He cares about people, but… he refuses to let them help, because he cares. It was almost as if he didn't trust himself. "So wait… how does Mephisto disappear?"

"I think it's guilt. Once he first summoned Mephisto, he… almost killed Ishida. He could have done it if he wanted to. He held Ishida's Shadow at gunpoint, but… then he stopped. He completely froze up. Then, in Okumura's Palace… once he got a look at what he did to everyone… Mephisto went away, and… Toya started to cry. He said he couldn't control Mephisto. He even said… he didn't know if surviving and gaining all of that power was worth the guilt he felt."

"For real…?"

"Toya…"

"He lived the past months in guilt without saying a word…?"

"He started… crying about it?"

"And he pretended like he was okay…" Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Futaba, and even Haru… they barely had anything to say. They all just assumed Toya was rough around the edges, that he was an asshole who didn't trust anyone, but… now that didn't seem like the case anymore. They spent all this time judging him… without even stopping to consider any anything Makoto just told them.

"So that's how it is…" Morgana started understanding Toya a bit more now. It was hard to really understand, but… Morgana had a grasp on it, somehow.

* * *

_Toya: "I'm only doing what's necessary. I'm not letting Akechi hurt anyone else."_

_Toya: "Do you know how dangerous it is for multiple of us to confront him!? You all saw what happened to Akira, didn't you? If he did that to any of you, you'd end up the same way! I'm the only one with enough experience with suffering psychotic breakdowns to actually do something to him if he tries it on me!"_

* * *

"_You really were just trying to protect us…_" Morgana thought to himself, looking back at the fight. "_I'm sorry for doubting you, so please… don't let Akechi win…!_"

"_Grief…_" Sae thought to herself as she overheard the conversation taking place on the other side of the arena. "_He's going through that much grief… damn it, what the hell have I been doing!? How have I ignored his issues for this long as his guardian!?_" Sae was starting to feel guilty for neglecting her job as a guardian… for the state of Toya's mental health. Makoto told her that his head wasn't in the best place when she told her the truth about the Metaverse, and the Phantom Thieves, but… this was much worse than she anticipated.

Meanwhile, at ground level, the fight between Toya and Akechi raged on. Toya caught on to Akechi's pattern… two slashes, and a stab. Every single time, without fail… this is what he would capitalize off of. He blocked two slashes, and then… Akechi reeled his sword back, getting ready to try and stab Toya… just like he expected. He focused his eyes and dodged to the left, completely avoiding the attack. Before Akechi could reel his sword back, Toya rushed in and punched Akechi right in the gut, making a powerful impact and causing Akechi's eyes to widen in pain.

"You think you can take me down with this rookie fighting style!? I'LL SHATTER THAT DAMN EGO OF YOURS!" Mustering up all of his strength, Toya pushed Akechi back with the sheer force of his punch, giving him enough time to rush in and get another clean hit on his face.

"**Descend, LOKI!" **Akechi called upon his Persona as he was tumbling back, planting his feet into the ground and creating a physical barrier around him. "**Come on… I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!"**

"_He had a magic barrier when I was fighting Akira… now he has a physical one!? Damn it! It's not gonna fall off on its own, I need a way to break it!_" Toya started looking around the arena, before staring directly at a wall. "_The wall… that's it!_" Toya turned away from Akechi, and started rushing straight towards the wall.

"**I'M NOT LETTING YOU OFF THAT EASY!" **Akechi charged after Toya, having complete ferocity in his eyes as he ripped his mask off once more. "**TAKE HIM DOWN, LOKI!" **

"_Just a little more… come on…_" Toya kept running towards the wall as Akechi chased him. A few moments later, he finally got close enough to the wall- just as he planned. Then, Akechi's Persona materialized a massive red blade in front of it, and attempted to slash down at Toya. "_NOW!_" Toya quickly jumped to the side, avoiding Akechi's attack and having it collide with the wall instead, cracking it open and leaving a pile of rubble on the floor. He then dashed over to it, running his hand through the rubble and picking up two small rocks, putting one of them in his pocket and holding on to the other one. He shot his hookshot at the wall above him and took off his mask to summon his Persona. As he did, a blue aura surrounded Akechi, lowering his defenses.

"**What? It's not like you can hit me anyways!" **Akechi started to laugh at Toya's gesture, but Toya's expression didn't change one bit. He prepared himself for a moment… before jumping off the wall straight into the air. He stared right at Akechi and reeled his hand back, before throwing the rock straight at him. "**What the hell is that supposed to do?" **The rock quickly approached Akechi. He grinned and held his hand out to catch it, but… instead, it collided with his barrier, effectively getting rid of it. "**What…!?" **Before Akechi could even react, Toya shot his hookshot to the ground right in between his feet, charging over with his fist reeled back. He got in close and landed another devastating punch onto Akechi. The force of the attack was enough to send him far back, creating distance between the two of them yet again.

"Why are you getting so cocky? You're nothing compared to me!" Toya ripped off his mask once more, staring at Akechi as he wobbled in place, still aching in pain from the punch. "Finish this… **DIABOLOS!"** Diabolos fired a massive blast of dark magic straight at Akechi. Akechi looked towards the blast and grit his teeth.

"**INCINERATE!" **Akechi yelled out, as he suddenly let out a massive blast of fire magic, colliding with Toya's blast. He started to breathe heavily as he looked at Toya, giving him an angry glare. "**You piece of shit… fine! If I can't hurt you normally…" **Akechi pulled out a gun and pointed it at Toya for a moment, before giving him a devilish smirk, and redirecting towards the VIP area, aiming straight at Makoto. "**THEN I'LL HURT YOU LIKE THIS!" **

"What!? You piece of- DON'T BRING HER INTO THIS!" Without caring about what Toya said, Akechi pulled the trigger, and then… time stood still, for a brief moment. Toya could see the panicked expressions of everyone… and he heard the echoing screams of horror coming from everyone. Without even thinking, Toya shot his hookshot just above the VIP area, zipping up towards it and covering Makoto's body with his own, feeling the bullet pierce right through his skin.

"T-Toya…!" Makoto, along with everyone else, looked on in absolute horror at what they say.

"You couldn't just… listen… could you…?" Toya coughed as he spoke, before he suddenly heard the sound of another gunshot, feeling it rip straight through his skin.

"Why…? Why are you doing this!? Why are you trying to take all of the pain yourself!?"

"Don't you get it…?" Another gunshot. "I screwed up. I got Akira turned psychotic… I've attacked most of the people here…" Another gunshot. "I even nearly killed one of you… I've already been judged for my crimes…" Another two gunshots, these two causing Toya to cough up blood as he heard the sound of Akechi reloading. "I can't let any of you get hurt anymore… I've already made you all suffer so much, and…" Another gunshot. "I especially…" Another gunshot. "Can't… let him hurt…" Another gunshot. "The one that I love…" Makoto's eyes widened as Toya spoke, before hearing Akechi fire 3 more bullets, all ripping through Toya's skin. At this point, blood was pouring out of him like mad, and he could barely stop coughing… there were even tears starting to stream down his cheeks. "So please… I'm begging you…!" Akechi reloaded, and shot 6 shots straight at Toya. "Get out… while you can…! I can't… let someone else I love die..." Akechi reloaded, once more, laughing to himself while taking aim at Toya once more. "You're…" The 19th shot. "All…" 20th. "I…" 21st. "Have…"22nd. "Left…" 23rd. 23 bullets were sent straight through Toya's body… he was barely even conscious now.

"**How heart-warming. A love confession just before your death… absolutely adorable." **Akechi snickered to himself, having only one bullet left.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Sae yelled out, catching everyone's attention. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? What are you trying to prove with this?!"

"**Oh, Sae… I planned on saving you for last, but if you're that eager…" **Akechi raised his gun, aiming right at Sae's head. "**THEN YOU CAN DIE FIRST!" **Sae tried to move, but she was still restrained by her arms… she couldn't dodge out of the way.

"_No… I can't let… her die…!_" Toya's arm shook as he slowly raised it up to his face, gripping his mask as tightly as he possibly could with what little strength he had left. "_One last… attack… Diabolos!_" He slowly took off his mask, a blue flame appearing on his face as Diabolos was summoned. Its arms morphed into guns, as it fired two shots… both aimed at the chains keeping Sae in place. Akechi fired his gun at the same time as Toya did, but… Toya's bullets reached first. With her restraints broken, Sae's body quickly fell down, narrowly avoiding the bullet. "_That's… it…_" Feeling the rest of his strength leave his body, his hookshot slowly fell out of the wall as his body slowly fell towards the floor. Makoto reached out to try and grab his hand, but… it fell straight through.

"TOYA!" His body fell down to the ground, landing in a pool of his own blood, unable to move.

"**Dying to save your teammates… it's fitting, isn't it? A foolish end for a foolish man." **Akechi slowly walked over to Toya's limp body, laughing to himself. Toya could barely even hear it though… he could just barely make out Akechi's voice. Not only that, but he could hear something else…

"TOYA!"

"Get up, damn it!"

"You can't lose here!"

"You have to keep fighting!"

"After everything, you intend to let him win!?"

"Don't you dare give up now!"

"Please… we're all relying on you!"

"_Everyone…_" Toya could make out their voices… somewhat. However… there was another voice he heard. And… as he heard it, time appeared to stand still, once more.

"_Please… help…"_

"_You're talking to me, too…?_"

"_The only one… potential… save The… untimely demise… unlock… secret of The…"_

"_Sorry… I don't know if I can help you anymore…_"

"_darkness… inside of you… Defy… demons who… control…"_

"_I still don't know what you're trying to tell me…_"

"_Overwhelming power… Hunger… destroy the chains… your heart…"_

"_..._"

"_the only way… from Ruin…"_

"_Ruin…?_" Just then, Toya's vision went white. All he could see for a moment was a blinding light… and he still couldn't move his body. But then, he saw… something else. There was something- no, some_one_ in the middle of the light, waiting there for him.

"It's been a while… little brother."

"K-Ken…!" Toya recognized that voice anywhere. There's no mistaking it… that was him. "Ken… I've missed you so much…"

"I've missed you too, Toya. And I am so, so proud of you." Ken slowly walked towards Toya, getting down on one knee and looking at him. "Instead of wallowing in despair with me gone… you got right back up, and you kept on fighting, no matter what it took. You really became a hero… more of one than I ever was."

"I did my best, Ken… I wanted to impress you. I wanted you to watch over me, so that… maybe I could see you here, one last time."

"You did impress me, Toya. And you still impress me to this day, but…" Ken slowly stood up straight. "It's not your time to join me here yet."

"What…? What do you mean…?"

"You have your entire life ahead of you. You have a long, happy life ahead of you. You're not gonna give that up now that you're so close to the end of your hardships, are you?"

"Ken…"

"No matter what it takes, Toya… you can't let Akechi beat you. After all… that voice in your head… she still needs your help, doesn't she?"

"...Yeah. You're right…" Toya coughed a bit, getting another good look at his brother. "But, doing whatever it takes… the only way I can win is if I summon Mephisto, and…"

"Then that's what you're gonna do."

"But then…!"

"It's in your head, right? That power… if it's in your head, then you should be able to control it, right?" Toya paused for a moment, considering what Ken had just said. "This whole time, you've been running from that side of you, because you're afraid of giving in to it, but… maybe it's time you accepted it for what it is."

"...You're right."

"There you go." Ken smirked, looking at Toya. "Get back out there. You have a job to finish. I'll be cheering you on from up here, so you better not let me down!"

"I won't!" Toya said one last thing, before his brother faded back into the light. Toya could feel a new strength inside of him… a new resolve, burning brighter than ever, ready to explode at any given moment.

"_**Have you finally accepted it?"**_

"_Mephisto!_"

"_**Give in to me."**_

"_Yeah, yeah, I hear you, damn it! Just this once, I'll use your power!_" As Toya's thoughts went on, the flame within him burned brighter… and his vision returned. He could see the floor of the coliseum… and see the pool of blood he was in- the blood being his own.

"**Any last words?" **Akechi loomed over Toya, holding his blade and having it at Toya's head.

"Last? What are you talking about?" Suddenly, a powerful aura surrounded aura surrounded Toya, creating a shockwave that pushed Akechi back away from him, as he started to slowly stand up on his feet again. "You're misunderstanding the situation. After all…" Toya slowly raised his hand up to his mask, gripping it tightly as a purple flame appeared on his face. "**You're the one who's going to disappear!" **He yelled, as the purple flame grew bigger than ever. "**You think I'm going to die here!? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" **He roared, creating another shockwave that pushed Akechi even further back. "**There's no way in hell I'm gonna die here! Not to you! No matter what it takes… no matter what I have to do… I'M GOING TO STOP YOU!" **He ripped off his mask, yelling as loud as he could and causing the purple flame to grow even bigger, causing the entire arena to glow the same exact shade of purple, exuding enough pressure to push everyone back.

"**What… what are you…!?" **Akechi was getting scared at this point.

"**Me? I'm a lot of things. To a lot of people, I'm a Jester. But…" **Toya slowly emerged from the purple flame, with his head raised up as he held a vial full of medicine in his hand, drinking from it. His wounds started to heal, and as they did… a Persona materialized behind him. It was a demonic jester, covered in both purple and black. He crushed the vial in his hand after drinking all of it, throwing the glass shards to the side as his gunblade materialized in his hands. He looked towards Akechi with bloodshot eyes that had a golden outline around them, and the purple fire raging around him. "**To you… I'M THE ONE WHO'S GONNA JUDGE YOU AND DRAG YOU DOWN TO HELL FOR YOUR CRIMES!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Pandemonium - Automatically applies Call of Chaos on user at start of battle.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Oblivion - Severe Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Loki  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Call of Chaos - Causes target to go psychotic.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Blazing Hell - Severe Fire damage to all foes.  
Ice Age - Severe Ice damage to all foes.  
Doomsday - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.


	59. Pandemonium (3 of 3)

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Grand Arena)**

Not wasting even a second longer, Toya rushed towards Akechi, holding his blade tightly and slashing recklessly at Akechi. Akechi began to block his attacks, but… Toya was infinitely faster now, and despite the chaotic look in his eyes… he was even more precise with his strikes. Every single cut nearly struck Akechi's skin… he could barely even block. He had to create distance and try to approach the fight in a different way, but whenever he did, Toya made sure he was going after him right away, not allowing Akechi to get away.

"Y-You guys don't think he'll Akechi, do you?" Ryuji was openly nervous about seeing Mephisto being summoned again.

"He didn't kill any of us… though, I guess he didn't really fight me." Ann was scared, but… she was also curious, as she had never gotten much of a chance to experience what Mephisto was really like.

"He certainly could have killed us if he wanted to. I think I had a headache for the rest of the week after I woke up…" Just thinking about it made Yusuke's head hurt. He could never forget how ruthless Toya was when he suddenly summoned that second Persona.

"He almost killed me! I was half dead by the time the rest of you were unconscious!" Futaba was more scared than anyone… and she had no problem admitting that. She still had nightmares about what Toya did… it truly did scare her to her core.

"It looks like it was a life or death situation… I don't want to celebrate his use of that Persona, but… it's much better than him meeting his demise, isn't it?" Haru had only heard about Mephisto from the others. This was her first time seeing it, but… she had faith in Toya. Surely they had to be exaggerating how scary Mephisto really was… or at least, that's what she was hoping.

"We just have to believe in him, right?" Morgana tried as hard as he could to be hopeful. Though… he had trouble having complete faith in Toya. It sounded like he meant well, but… he was still unpredictable.

"_That Persona again…_" Makoto thought to herself, looking down at the fight. "_You said you'd win no matter what it takes… you better stay true to that, especially… considering what you said to me..._"

Meanwhile, in the arena, the fight raged on with more intensity than ever. Toya finally allowed Akechi to create some distance, but instead of being annoyed, Toya simply smirked, looking at him with a sinister aura around him.

"**So… you weren't showing your true strength, huh!?" **

"**I didn't think I'd need to… but then, you did something awful." **Toya clenched one of his fists tightly and gripped his mask with the other, as a pink beam rose around him. "**I'm gonna make you pay for everything you did!" **He yelled out, before rushing into Akechi once more, a ferocious look in his eyes.

"**I WON'T LET YOU WIN THAT EASILY!" **Akechi roared, before suddenly erecting a physical barrier around himself, ready to defend himself against whatever Toya threw at him. However, as soon as Toya saw this… he began to laugh to himself, with the purple flame on his face growing in size.

"**MEPHISTO!" **He screamed, as he summoned his Persona once more. Without warning, Mephisto shot out a massive gust of wind. However, instead of aiming at Akechi… he aimed at Toya's feet, causing Toya to ascend far into the air, much to everyone's surprise. Akechi looked up to Toya with a shocked expression on his face, but Toya's expression now… it was cold, and expressionless. He was serious… more serious than he had ever been in his life. A blue beam rose around him, as he concentrated his magic as much as he could… before suddenly, his Persona shot out a bolt of lightning, aimed right at Akechi. It made a direct hit, sending Akechi flying away as a shock was sent throughout his body. He could feel countless different shocks going through his body as he landed on the ground. He grit his teeth and slowly picked himself back up, staring at Toya as he hovered in the air, with a controlled twister underneath his feet, keeping him still in the air.

"**You… you think you're better than me…!?" **

"**Think? No, Akechi. I **_**know**_ **I'm better than you. I'll prove that by crushing you!" **Toya reached into his pocket, pulling out a second piece of rubble from earlier. He reeled his hand back and threw it towards Akechi, before quickly rushing towards him with the use of wind magic, flying through the air.

"**THAT WON'T WORK TWICE!" **Raising his sword into the air, Akechi broke the pebble as it came towards him. With a ferocious look on his face, he jumped in Toya's direction and tried slashing at him. However, with another gust of wind magic, Toya got far out of the way, flying back towards the pillar of ice Akechi made earlier. "**YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME NOW! I'LL KILL YOU, JUST LIKE I DID TO YOUR BROTHER!" **Akechi charged towards Toya's direction, gripping his mask tightly and ripping it off, summoning his Persona and yelling out as he attacked in Toya's general direction, out of pure fury and instinct. Toya was far out of range though, so the only thing he even hit was the pillar of ice he created earlier, causing it to break apart.

"**GET LOST!" **Toya screamed as he prepared another blast of lightning, aiming for Akechi once more. He dodged out of the way of this one, creating distance between the two of them once more. Toya shot his hookshot to the ground, making a clean landing and looking at Akechi once more.

"**Well? Your strategy with those pebbles failed. Do you have another unorthodox plan for taking me down!? You gonna pull something else out of your ass to try and finish me!?"**

"**Not yet. I'll think of something if I need to, but for now…" **Holding on to his mask once more, Toya extended one arm out while standing in front of the shattered pieces of ice, with a purple flame appearing on his face. He focused all of his magic… and then, suddenly, the chunks of ice began to levitate behind him. They were slowly raised into the air, spinning around and forming a cyclone. "**TRY DEFLECTING THESE!" **Toya yelled out, before he hurled all of the ice towards Akechi with his wind magic.

"**BURN IT ALL AWAY, LOKI!" **He yelled out, while unleashing all of the fire magic he could, melting the chunks of ice as they came to him, turning it all into water that splashed down on him. While it was annoying, it didn't actually hurt him. However, it did a good job at distracting him. By the time he was able to focus again, he saw a pebble flying through the air, hitting his barrier and destroying it.

"**Tch… all of that just to distract me? That's low, Toya."**

"_**Just**_ **to distract you? No, Akechi. That was simply a set up." **Toya snapped his fingers and took off his mask once more to summon his Persona, creating a whirlwind beneath him to slightly levitate in the air, gradually getting higher and higher. "**I'm ending this battle here."**

"Wait, did he really think of something!?"

"I know he does this a lot, but come on… there's no way he could have come up with something that fast, right?"

"I don't want to dismiss the possibility, but… I question the likelihood of this as well."

"Well, if anyone could do it, it's probably him, right?" The Phantom Thieves were all vocal about their confusion and doubt, but they were all interested.

"Noir, Queen… you two know him best, right? Do you think he could have come up with something already?" Morgana asked, looking right at them.

"There's no doubt in my mind." Haru had absolute confidence in Toya, looking down at him as he condescendingly stared Akechi down.

"It's the same for me." Makoto stood right by Haru's side, gently as she looked at Toya. "I've already put all of my trust into him. There's no way he's going to disappoint us now."

"**Quit bluffing! Like hell I'll believe that you came up with some extravagant idea fast!"**

"**I don't care if you believe me yet. You'll know soon enough!" **Combining his wind magic and his hookshot, Toya zipped around the room quicker than ever, keeping a close eye on Akechi while bouncing from wall to wall.

"_All I need now is a way to catch him off guard…_" Toya grit his teeth and focused, before looking to the last bit of rubble that hasn't been used yet, firing his hookshot straight towards it beginning to zip towards it.

"**I'VE GOT YOU NOW!" **Akechi roared with a sinister smile on his face, summoning his Persona once more and readying a powerful physical attack, preparing to hit Toya as soon as he got close to the rubble he created.

"**DON'T BE SO SURE!" **Toya remained confident, as he suddenly stopping moving towards the rubble his hookshot hit with the use of his wind magic, pushing himself up further into the air as he yanked the rubble off of the floor, bringing it into the air. He looked down on Akechi, before suddenly spinning around, hitting Akechi with the rubble. The impact caught Akechi completely off guard, causing him to fall down onto his back, into the pool of water that was created.

"**You piece of shit…!" **Akechi tried picking himself up, but before he could, he saw Toya looking down at him, hovering above him. With a purple flame burning around him, he suddenly shot a bolt of electricity in Akechi's direction. "**LOKI!" **Without time to dodge, Akechi quickly put up his magic barrier, preparing himself for what was to come. However, as he did… something strange happened. In actuality, the lightning bolt didn't actually hit him… but instead, it hit the pool of water that Akechi was standing in. The electricity flowed through the current and got to Akechi directly, sending a shock throughout his entire body, paralyzing him as Toya slowly descended to the ground with a menacing look in his eyes, as his Persona loomed behind him. A purple gun materialized in front of it and spun around a few times, before a pink beam rose around Toya, and

"**Mangle him… MEPHISTO!" **He yelled out, before a bullet was shot out at Akechi. It made a direct hit, piercing right through his stomach. The impact of the bullet sent him flying out of the water, and along with the gaping hole it left in his body… the fight had finally concluded, with Toya being the winner.

"Ladies and gentlemen… against all odds, after escaping the cold grip of death… our guest of honor has emerged victorious!" The crowd of Shadow exploded in applause for him, screaming and chanting his name. They had a show put on for them, and they were incredibly excited about it. "But don't go anywhere, folks! Our special guest is only halfway done with his trial!" Toya's eyes widened, as did everyone else's. "He may have taken down the doppelganger… but his true opponent is now ready to show himself! Please, give a warm welcome to the killing machine who created this entire coliseum!"

"**I have to fight this asshole's Shadow too!? Give me a break!" **Toya gripped his blade tightly, as the crowd got even louder than they already were. Sure enough… moments later, he heard the sound of footsteps. However, it sounded… off. It didn't even sound human. The sound got closer and closer… until suddenly… a robotic figure appeared. However… it wasn't entirely a robot. It had human parts, including hair and a normal looking eye, but… nearly everything else about it was robotic. "**What the hell…?"**

"I know he said killing machine, but ain't this _too_ literal?"

"Akechi's Shadow is… a robot? That's what he thinks of himself as?

"It certainly seems to be at least _part_ human, but… it's mostly robotic."

"It's a cyborg- originally human, but modified with robotic parts. They're meant to be upgrades."

"I see. But… does that look upgraded to you guys?"

"It seems… kind of broken…"

"The metal is all dented, and some of it is even rusty… I think I can even see a few sparks flying off of it. This is weird…" Everyone in the Phantom Thieves was confused. This… this was unlike any Shadow they had ever seen before. Even Toya was caught off guard.

"If you are my opponent, then I shall fight-fight-fight-fight-" The cyborg could barely even speak. It kept stuttering over the same word over and over, as sparks started flying out of its sides. Eventually it fell over to its knees, as if it was overloading.

"**What the hell is with this thing…?" **Toya almost felt bad. This thing was… clearly damaged, and in no condition to fight at all. Yet, for some reason… it was here, as if it had to fight for some reason.

"Terribly sorry about this, sir. I'll handle things." Suddenly, another voice was talking on a microphone with the announcer. Just after speaking, a figure appeared from the shadows… it was a bald man in a suit. "Damn machine…! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"That man…!" Sae recognized this person, as she took a step back in shock. "That's… that's Masayoshi Shido…!"

"**The politician...?! But… what the hell is a cognitive version of him doing here of all places!?" **

"**Look away… please…" **A desperate voice called out to Toya… and it was none other than Akechi.

"What did I tell you about failure!? Damn it… I'll have to rebuild you from scratch, won't I!?" He yelled, before taking out a remote control that had the word "SELF-DESTRUCT" written on it.

"**What the hell is your problem!?" **Toya spoke up, staring down the cognitive Shido.

"Do not wor-wor-worry…" The robotic Akechi spoke up, still stuttering every few words. "This is… pro-pro-pro-protocol. If I am not built perf-perf-perf-perfectly, then… this is the cruel-cruel fate that I am given.

"_Perfect…?_" Toya stood still for a brief moment as he heard the words. As he processed this, the real Akechi looked at the scene… and closed his eyes. He knew what was coming… and there was no way to stop it. He braced himself for it… and then, a clicking sound rang out in the room, followed by a loud bang.


	60. The JESTER

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Akechi's Palace (Grand Arena)**

After the loud sound of a bang rang throughout the room, Akechi felt time itself stand still. The only thing he could feel was the pain from the wound in his chest. But, aside from that, he felt… numb. The thing is… that worried him. If his Shadow died, then… he should be suffering a mental shutdown, and if he was suffering a mental shutdown, then… it should at least hurt, right? After all, he saw Okumura die, and the pain he was in… shouldn't he at least feel _something_? He thought he should, and he was waiting for something to change, but… nothing was happening.

"Ngh… you damn… brat…" Akechi then heard something even weirder. He heard the sound of the cognitive Shido himself being in pain, and then heard the sound of something falling to the floor. He opened his eyes and looked at him… only to see that he was holding on to his chest, with blood pouring out of him. Not only that, but the remote control he had was now on the floor. "Who the hell… do you think you are…!?" Akechi followed the cognitive Shido's gaze… and saw Toya. His eyes were hidden behind his hair, and he was holding up his gunblade, pointing it at Shido. His finger was on the trigger, and there was smoke coming from the barrel of it.

"_What…? Did he…_" Akechi tried piecing everything together. He looked over to where his Shadow was… and he saw it, still in one piece. Then, the loud bang he heard… that was Toya's gunblade. "_But… why did he…?_" Akechi was at a complete loss. "_He stopped Shido from killing me… even though he wants me dead… just what is going through his head…!?_" Akechi couldn't figure it out, but… Toya had his reasons. He stood absolutely still for a moment, facing the cognitive Shido with his eyes closed, as thoughts and memories echoed throughout his mind.

* * *

_Toya: "Do you know what it's like to go through life the way I did?"_

_Toya: "In one word… it's __**TORTURE.**_"

_Toya: "No matter what you want to do, or how you do it… the only acceptable outcome is __**PERFECTION**__, and __**ANYTHING**_ _less is considered __**FAILURE.**_"

_Toya: "But the worst part about it is… there is __**NOTHING**_ _you can do about it._

_Toya: "All of that hatred, that primal fury… that all gets directed towards yourself."_

* * *

_Shadow Akechi: "Do not wor-wor-worry…"_

_Shadow Akechi: "This is… pro-pro-pro-protocol. If I am not built perf-perf-perf-perfectly, then… this is the cruel-cruel fate that I am given."_

* * *

"_So that's how it is…_" Toya didn't want to believe what he was seeing, but… he did. "_Cognition doesn't lie. Even if he __**is **__an insufferable bastard…_" Toya clenched his blade tightly, before suddenly dashing in. Before Shido could even react, Toya quickly cut straight through his body, appearing on the other side of him.

"What… are you doing…!?" Shido grunted in pain, holding on to his chest and reeling in pain from the wounds Toya gave him.

"**I'm fixing everything wrong with the world." **Toya raised his gunblade into the air, pushing it against the back of Shido's head and putting his finger on the trigger. "**You're first."** Without any hesitation, Toya pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight through Shido's head, effectively killing him and causing him to disappear, fading away into black mist. The only thing he left behind… was the remote that was he almost used to blow up Akechi's Shadow. Toya slowly picked the remote up and turned around, walking towards the robotic Akechi that was on the ground, unable to stand anymore. He stood absolutely still with the remote in his hand… and he had his thumb resting on top of the self destruct button. One simple push was all it took to end things.

"**What are you waiting for!?" **The purple flame rose around Toya… and then, Mephisto appeared behind him, looming over his shoulder. Everyone gasped as they saw the Persona freely summon itself, and speak to Toya. "**This is your chance! One bit of force is all that it takes to kill him! Why are you hesitating!?"**

"**I'm not going to hesitate any longer." **Toya responded, as he clenched the remote even tighter. He smirked… before throwing the remote straight up into the air. Everyone's eyes followed the remote, even Akechi's… before Toya suddenly held his blade up in the air, taking aim at the remote… and firing. He landed a direct hit onto the remote, effectively destroying it.

"**You stupid, stupid Jester! Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?" **Mephisto's demonic voice could be heard throughout the entire room, yelling angrily at Toya.

"I don't know what you really are, Mephisto, but there's one thing I know for sure…" Toya slowly turned around, looking at Mephisto with an angry look in his eyes- and to everyone's surprise, the golden outline around them was gone. "You _aren't_ the real me." He raised his weapon into the air once more, taking aim directly at Mephisto and firing. Before the bullet could even connect, it disappeared, leaving no trace of itself. The purple flame around Toya disappeared at the same time. Toya felt… different after all of that was said and done. He had a brief moment of silence, until the mechanical sound of whirring caught him off guard, getting progressively louder. He turned to face the robotic Akechi once more, as sparks continued to fly off of him faster and faster.

"This is… not-not-not protocol…"

"You're not complaining about that, right?" He didn't respond. He could barely even speak… he was incredibly damaged at this point. "Thinking you have to be perfect, just to live up to the expectations of others…" Toya slowly kneeled down, staring directly at Akechi's Shadow. "Listen. Cognition or not… I have zero intention of forgiving you for everything you've done. Not for what you did to Akira, my father… or especially my brother. But… you're not the one pulling the strings. You even know that you're being controlled… even though you'll never admit it to anyone." Toya slowly got back up, looking down at the robotic body. "I'll sympathize with you."

"...Th-Th-Thank you…" The Shadow gave thanks… before suddenly disappearing, fading away into a bright light that slowly moved towards the real Akechi. The one thing he left behind… was a golden locket of sorts. Toya slowly picked it up, looking on the inside… there were 2 pictures inside. One looked like a younger Akechi… and the other was a woman of some sort, who had similar hair to him. He put the locket in his pocket and then turned towards the real Akechi, taking out the last vial of medicine.

"Take it. You'll die if you don't."

"...Are you an idiot? Why would you gi-" Toya had no patience anymore. He took the vial of medicine and forced it into Akechi's mouth as he spoke.

"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Toya sighed as he forced Akechi to take the medicine. After a few moments, he heard the sound of rumbling. The Palace was already coming down… and it was getting extremely dangerous. A few moments later, he heard the sound of something crashing onto the ground. He turned around to see Morgana's van form, and inside of it was all of the Phantom Thieves- including Makoto and Haru.

"This place is coming down! You two need to get down here!" Makoto yelled out to them, as Akechi slowly got up on his feet. He gave Toya a somber look, one filled with despair and regret… before making his way towards the van.

"You guys go on! I'll get Sae!" Toya yelled out, firing his hookshot straight towards where Sae was, landing right in front of her. She had an extremely shocked look on her face as she faced Toya.

"Did you just… change Akechi's heart…?"

"I'll explain everything later. This entire place is going to collapse!" He grabbed Sae's hand, and fired his hookshot to a nearby wall, keeping a tight grip on Sae.

"Hey, what are you- WOAH!" Suddenly, Sae was carried through the air thanks to Toya's grip. He followed behind Morgana, before eventually landing directly on top of the van with Sae, still holding on to her as tightly as he could, making sure she didn't fall.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Shibuya Station**

After driving away, the entire group found themselves back in the real world… including Akechi. He looked towards everyone… before turning away, leaving everyone behind.

"Hey, where are you-" Ryuji tried calling out to him, but Akechi didn't even look back. He just kept walking away, completely filled with guilt.

"Let him go, Ryuji." Toya spoke calmly, turning a different way. "I'm gonna head off too. There's something I need to do before going to bed tonight." Toya started talking away, before turning back to everyone for a moment. "Please don't follow me this time. I want to be alone for a bit."

"Hey, wait-" Makoto tried saying something, but Toya just left. He had somewhere to go… someone to talk to.

**November 21st, 20XX (Monday)**

**Midnight - Graveyard**

"...I'm here again." Toya spoke softly while approaching his brother's grave, kneeling down. "I'm… sure that what I saw earlier was just an illusion, right? I doubt you were _actually_ there with me. But… I wouldn't have minded if it was you." Toya paused. "I did something that was probably really, really stupid. I… saved Akechi's life. The one who killed you… I let him live. I even changed his heart, and effectively made him a 'good person'. Or… whatever you want to call it. I'm… not really sure why. My mind was telling me that I should kill him- that I shouldn't let him live. That he deserves to die. But… there was this small piece of my mind that told me I shouldn't actually kill him. A small piece of my mind that told me that I'd regret being a killer, after going this long without actually murdering people… and I decided to listen to it. To be honest… I'm not sure if I'll regret doing this or not. I'm not even sure if I would've regretted killing Akechi. But… as things stand right now, I don't _think_ I regret it." Toya slowly got up, looking down at the grave. "Jeez… look at me. I'm talking to the grave of my dead brother when every normal person is sleeping. I even have to go back to school tomorrow. I bet if Makoto saw me like this, she'd call me a complete weirdo."

"I wouldn't say _that._" Toya's hair stood behind his neck as he turned around to see Makoto there, standing right behind him.

"...How long have you been here?"

"The entire time."

"Figures. I guess I kind of expected you to follow me…"

"I… really wanted to see you tonight. I wanted to make sure you were okay…" Makoto looked towards Ken's grave for a moment. "Have you… come here a lot?"

"I've… done it a few times. Every month or so… whenever something big happens, really. It's… a good way to get my thoughts straight, I guess. I'm not sure how well it works, but… it makes me feel better."

"I can't fault you for doing it then." Makoto got a big closer to Toya. "...Why didn't you do it? Everyone was expecting you to kill him, you know."

"It… didn't feel right. I felt like doing that… it wouldn't have made things better. If anything… things just would have gotten worse. I don't know if I'll regret my choice or not, honestly…"

"Well… if it makes you feel any better… I'm glad you didn't kill him. I don't think you would've been able to look at yourself the same way if you did that."

"You're probably right. But… letting the person who killed my brother run free still feels… weird, you know?"

"Yeah. I guess." Makoto looked away for a moment. "You… said a lot earlier, while we were in Akechi's Palace. You… know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Oh, that…" Toya looked away too, afraid to make eye contact. "...I really thought I was going to die there. I didn't want to die without at least… telling you the specifics about how I feel. Though… I'm sure it makes you feel at least a little bit awkward, right?"

"...Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"When you said that you love me… did you… really mean it in that way?"

"I mean… of course I did. I wouldn't just say something like that if I didn't mean it. To be honest… I've felt that way for a long time. But… I never knew how to actually say it, you know? I didn't know if you'd even like hearing it. I guess I was just… scared of not hearing it back."

"...I'd be pretty scared if I said something like that without hearing it back, too. That's why… I'm glad you said it first." Makoto slowly got closer, resting her head against Toya's arm for a moment. "...Can you say it again?"

"...I love you, Makoto."

"...I love you too." The two of them stood still for a brief moment, turning their heads to each other and looking into each other's eyes. They were confused, and their lives were complicated as all hell, but… this made them happy, despite all of that. They didn't get much of a chance to really enjoy their time together, and that probably wouldn't change much soon, but… they were still happy the way they were. That's what really mattered to them the most in terms of their relationship… and it's why they were still happy with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ? ? ? ? ? [The JESTER] - Rank 9*  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 7  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 9  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 9  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 8  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)
> 
> *Potentially the most important part of this entire chapter.


	61. Phantom

**November 22nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Early Morning - Kazero Household**

Toya slowly opened his eyes, and something felt… weird. He felt… rested, actually. More well rested than he had felt in a very long time, to his surprise.

"_No nightmare…? That's… surprising._" He thought to himself, slowly sitting up. He checked his phone… it was still early. He wanted to go back to sleep, but… he heard the sound of Akira struggling in Ken's room, grunting and trying to break free of his restraints. "_I really need to find a way to fix him… but how am I gonna do that? It's not like he's just going to magically get better… there's gotta be something I can do._" Toya sighed, and slowly got out of bed. He had school today… it felt like forever since he had been to school, and just done something a normal teenager his age should be doing. But… he wasn't really a normal teenager anymore, so he didn't have the luxury of a normal life anymore. He began reminiscing over his old life for a minute… before suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket.

HARU: Hey, I've been wondering…

HARU: What are we gonna do about Akechi now?

MAKOTO: It's not like he can just turn himself in.

MAKOTO: That would probably cause more chaos than anything else.

TOYA: Makoto's right.

TOYA: If someone famous like him turned himself in, society would go into a state of panic.

TOYA: It's probably best if he just… stopped making public appearances.

HARU: Still, Akechi not being around would probably cause a lot of problems, right?

TOYA: The media will _probably _find a way to cover that up.

MAKOTO: Actually, Sae told me what the plan is already.

TOYA: Oh, really? What is it?

MAKOTO: Um…

MAKOTO: I think it'd be better if she told you herself…

TOYA: ...Should I be worried about that response?

MAKOTO: ...Probably.

TOYA: I think Sae is texting me now…

HARU: Wait, what's the plan?

MAKOTO: I'll tell you in class.

MAKOTO: For now I really have to get ready for school, see you later!

SAE: So…

SAE: There's something I need you to do today…

TOYA: ...Yeah…?

SAE: I spoke with Akechi already, and… he's agreed to not show up anywhere publicly.

SAE: But… there's still one problem.

TOYA: Which is…?

SAE: He was going to be on TV today, talking more about how the Phantom Thieves haven't been as active recently.

SAE: Essentially, it was meant to be an interview that would assure society that they're safe.

SAE: But… we need someone to cover for him.

SAE: Someone to show up in his place and talk about the Phantom Thieves on TV.

TOYA: ...And you want it to be.

SAE: ...I kind of already told them I'd get you.

SAE: We need someone who people wouldn't think is a complete stranger, and… well, your brother's popularity is more than enough to make you recognizable.

SAE: Your word would be able to calm them down.

TOYA: Sigh…

TOYA: Alright, alright. I'll do it.

TOYA: This better not be a regular thing…

SAE: ...I can't promise that.

TOYA: …

TOYA: I'm just gonna go to school and pretend I didn't see that last part.

SAE: Good idea.

**November 22nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

"Hey… you really think that transfer student went back home?"

"The one with a criminal record? Nah, I doubt it. There's no way he'd only be here for part of the year and then go back."

"What do you think happened? Ooh, you think the Phantom Thieves got to him?"

"Hah! He'd probably be dead on the news by now!" The sound of students gossiping to each other echoed throughout the room. It was loud… everyone could hear it, and everyone was laughing about it. It was kind of disgusting that they could laugh about it.

"How do you think the Phantom Thieves do it, anyways? You think that the whole 'TAKE YOUR HEART' stuff is legit?"

"Don't even say stuff like that! God, now I can't get the image out of my head…"

"_Idiots…_" Toya thought to himself. "_Literally taking someone's heart… how stupid can you be?_" Toya closed his eyes for a moment… before suddenly, those words started echoing in his head. "_Wait… 'TAKE YOUR HEART'..._"

* * *

_Mephisto: _"_**Now.. give in to that primal fury! Break the chains of your own heart… and show the world the true power of Hunger!"**_

* * *

_Akechi: "Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains on its heart are broken."_

* * *

"_Turning psychotic means the 'chains on your heart' are broken… and as a result, you feel… free, in a sense._"

* * *

_Toya: "Don't you get it? I'm free! Justice… morality… to hell with that shit!"_

* * *

_Akira: "No, nobody is controlling me… for the first time in so long… I'm FREE!"_

* * *

"_By changing someone's heart… you restrain that sense of freedom they have. You chain them back down to the world of societal norms… and as such, they stop acting so… out of place. Does that mean…!?_" Toya quickly took out his phone, opening the Nav. He typed in Akira's name… but nothing came up. "_Right… he's not like me. It's not a part of him… he never accepted it- he just couldn't fight against it. It makes sense that he doesn't have a Palace, but… that says nothing about Mementos, does it...?_"

TOYA: Hey, when do I have to show up for TV?

SAE: It won't be until evening. I can just pick you up if you'd like.

TOYA: Evening? Okay, good. Thank you.

SAE: Good? Do you have plans or something?

TOYA: Something like that.

TOYA: I'll tell you tomorrow if it all works out. I just need to do something after school.

SAE: You better not be doing anything dangerous…

TOYA: Have _some _faith in me…

TOYA: Besides, if it was something bad, I wouldn't even be telling you any of this.

TOYA: I just don't want to get people's hopes up.

TOYA: Class is starting, see you later!

**November 22nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Toya came to Mementos alone. It's not so much that he wanted to keep this a secret from everyone- he just wanted to make sure he was right before telling everyone. He wasn't going to fight Akira's Shadow; he just needed to find it. He had already been descending down Mementos for a while- he was getting close to the bottom floor. For the most part, Shadows were avoiding him… however, there was one that was willing to actually challenge him. It charged towards him and transformed into… something that looked similar to a clock, with a golden crest surrounding it… it was certainly an odd appearance for a Shadow. Regardless of that, Toya didn't have time to waste on it. He pointed his gunblade forward and began to open fire on the Shadow. In response, the Shadow let out a gust of wind magic, sweeping the bullets away. It then fired a devastating bolt of lightning out straight towards Toya. He dodged out of the way with the use of his hookshot, lodging himself into a nearby wall. He began zipping around the room, getting behind the Shadow before it could react and shoving his sword straight through it, quickly disposing of it. He had gotten a lot stronger these past few weeks… but he still wasn't sure if it was enough. He had been pushed to his limit time after time again even with all of the training- and it was only going to get tougher from this point on. Regardless of that, he went on for a bit longer… until finally, he came across a portal. He was nervous, but… he had to see what was inside. He gulped, and then jumped inside.

"Someone finally showed… it's about time. I was starting to get bored just waiting here." There he was. Akira's Shadow… standing there with a malicious look on his face. "Oh… it's you! The one who put me down here in the first place!"

"What? I didn't-"

"Like hell you didn't. Do you really think things would've turned out this way had you done things differently? Maybe if you weren't so insistent on doing **everything** alone, you wouldn't even have to be here!" Akira's Shadow yelled, staring angrily at Toya.

"...I'm gonna make things right, Akira. Just wait." Toya turned away, heading towards the portal.

"Hey! Get the hell back here!" He yelled out to Toya again, but Toya simply kept walking away. He had seen everything he needed to… and he knew what he had to do. That is, what he had to do _after_ making his TV debut… which he still wasn't excited about.

**November 22nd, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - TV Station**

"I can't believe you're making me do this…" Toya sighed in disbelief, closing his eyes. He never wanted to be famous like his brother was… but he didn't really have a say in the matter anymore.

"Oh, lighten up. It can't be _that_ bad, right?" Sae responded. She didn't really have to be there, but… she wanted to be.

"You'd be surprised…" Toya took his phone out, looking towards Sae. "By the way… I finally figured out how to do it."

"How to do what?"

"How to save Akira."

"W-What!? When did you figure that out!?"

"It's what I was doing between school ending and right now. It turns out the answer was right in front of us the entire time… to be honest, I'm kind of mad at myself for not figuring that out sooner."

"So wait… is he okay now?"

"Not yet. I didn't have time to actually fix him today… I'll have to do it tomorrow. It involves the Metaverse, so… it's a bit complicated."

"So, you'll be doing in with everyone else, then?"

...I don't know about _everyone_. I mean, I figure Makoto and Haru would be willing to help, but… I don't really know how the rest of them would feel about it."

"Akira is their leader. I'm sure they'd be willing to help you out if it meant saving him, right?"

"Maybe… anyways, I have to at least tell Makoto and Haru before the program begins."

"Okay, but hurry. You only have a few minutes left."

"It won't take long."

TOYA: There's something we need to do tomorrow… all of us.

MAKOTO: All of us…? What do you mean?

TOYA: We're saving Akira.

HARU: Saving Akira…!?

HARU: Wait, you figured out how to do it!?

TOYA: Yeah. I went to go check today after school.

TOYA: I don't have much time to really explain it in detail right now, but…

TOYA: I'll tell you two tomorrow before school ends, alright?

MAKOTO: Alright…

HARU: Wait, should I tell everyone else?

TOYA: ...I don't know how willing they would really be to help me.

TOYA: I'm not gonna ask you to do it, but I won't stop you, if you think they'd be willing to help.

TOYA: Alright, I have to go now.

MAKOTO: Good luck!

HARU: We're gonna be watching!

HARU: Ooh, maybe I should get everyone else to watch as well!

TOYA: Please don't.

HARU: Too late!

Toya looked angrily at his phone for a moment, but… he didn't have time to type up another response. He slowly made his way onto the main stage, sighing before taking a seat.

"Ah, right on time! A great honor to finally meet you, Mr. Kazero."

"...Please, just call me Toya. Anyways, I'm just supposed to be talking about the Phantom Thieves, correct?"

"That's right. Please, feel free to say whatever you wish about them. Preferably whatever would get us the most attention…"

"_Of course they only care about views… I can't even **pretend **__to be surprised at that._" Toya thought to himself, before refocusing on the conversation.

"Very well. I'll be sure to keep things interesting."

"Wonderful! We'll get started in just a moment then!" The man looked towards a screen, nodding his head a few times before a light flashed, as the camera began rolling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't actually write out Toya being interviewed. Sorry if you were looking forward to it, but I doubt anyone cares too much.


	62. Freak Show (1 of 2)

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Early Morning- Kazero Household**

AKECHI: You actually had the guts to get on TV and say the things you said…

AKECHI: I can't imagine the public's reaction to you defending the Phantom Thieves, and even claiming that they didn't kill your brother.

TOYA: It was nothing.

TOYA: Is there something you needed?

AKECHI: I… wanted to warn you of something.

AKECHI: You recall the man you saw in my palace, yes? The bald one in the suit.

TOYA: Yeah. He's that one politician that's been all over the news, right?

AKECHI: That's correct. His name is Masayoshi Shido.

AKECHI: I'm messaging you to warn you that you may now be a target of his.

TOYA: A… target? What do you mean?

AKECHI: Shido is the source of all of the corruption that takes place in this country.

AKECHI: The one who ordered the mental shutdowns… and organized the arrest of the leader of the Phantom Thieves.

AKECHI: In a way… he acted vicariously through me.

AKECHI: It's not to excuse what I've done- but it's not something to be ignored, either.

AKECHI: Now that you've publicly spoken that you're in favor of the Phantom Thieves… you're going to be a target of his.

TOYA: God damn it…

TOYA: What the hell am I supposed to do about that!?

AKECHI: I don't believe there's many options.

AKECHI: The only one I can think of is a change of heart.

TOYA: Of course he has a Palace…

AKECHI: He thinks of the Diet Building as his own cruiser. That's what his Palace is.

TOYA: Wait, the _entire_ Diet Building!?

AKECHI: As I said, he's the source of everything.

TOYA: ...Why are you even telling me this?

AKECHI: You deserve to know that he's going after you. And…

AKECHI: ...He's my father.

TOYA: Wait, what...?

AKECHI: Masayoshi Shido is my father.

AKECHI: I cannot end his crimes on my own… I'm not strong enough- neither physically, not mentally.

AKECHI: But… you can. So can the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

AKECHI: ...I'm entrusting you with this task, Toya.

TOYA: ...I have to fix Akira first.

TOYA: His psychotic breakdown can be cured. I'm going to try and do that today.

TOYA: After that… I'll see what I can do about Shido.

AKECHI: Very well. Thank you.

AKECHI: ...I'll be going now. Goodbye.

A part of Toya wanted to respond again, but… he couldn't find the words. But… to think that the person behind all of the corruption was a politician, of all things. It was kind of unreal… but it was easy to verify. He opened the Nav app on his phone, and typed in Masayoshi Shido.

"Match found."

"_So it's true. A politician…_" He thought to himself, before getting out of bed. Things were getting so hectic… he barely had any time to rest anymore. He was hoping for a break once Akira was saved, but… it seemed like that wasn't going to be the case. "_Maybe once Shido is taken care of… then maybe I'll get a break._" Toya got up. He couldn't really spend much time thinking about Shido now… he had more important things to take care of. Today was the day he'd save Akira… the day everything would go back to normal, or so he hoped.

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

HARU: Something incredible has happened!

HARU: Toya's figured out how to save Akira!

ANN: What!?

RYUJI: Are you for real!?

FUTABA: Tell us, tell us!

HARU: Mementos!

HARU: Toya found Akira's Shadow in Mementos yesterday!

ANN: Wait… he has a Shadow now!?

FUTABA: Mona says it makes some sense.

FUTABA: If his heart is in a state of chaos… then surely it can be stolen and fixed, like how mine was.

YUSUKE: To think that the leader of the Phantom Thieves must have his heart taken…

YUSUKE: It's quite poetic, is it not?

RYUJI: Who gives a damn if it's poetic or not!?

RYUJI: We gotta save him!

ANN: Are we going in to Mementos today?

HARU: Toya already asked me and Makoto to come with him.

HARU: He said that you could all come too, if you'd like.

RYUJI: We're definitely going!

ANN: We have to save him!

YUSUKE: We cannot allow our leader to suffer any longer!

FUTABA: Then it's decided! We're all going!

HARU: Great!

HARU: Let's all meet at the Shibuya Station once school ends!

HARU: The Phantom Thieves all agreed to come join us in Mementos.

TOYA: They're all coming?

MAKOTO: With that speech you gave last night, it's no surprise that they're willing to help.

TOYA: Please don't remind me of that…

HARU: You were a natural on TV. Did you get that from your brother?

TOYA: It wasn't that impressive…

MAKOTO: It was!

MAKOTO: Talking about how the Phantom Thieves were only interested in justice, and going on about how they've been framed…

MAKOTO: It definitely took guts.

HARU: Certainly! I'm sure that the Phantom Thieves all enjoyed watching it too.

TOYA: Did you actually get them to watch that?

HARU: Of course!

TOYA: …

TOYA: See you two this afternoon.

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**After School - Shibuya Station**

Toya stood outside the Shibuya Station with Makoto and Haru for a bit, with thoughts echoing throughout his mind as he waited for the Phantom Thieves to show up.

"Once this is all said and done… there's something I have to tell you two." Toya said, looking towards the two of them. "The Phantom Thieves might want to hear about it too."

"Hear about what?" Just then, the Phantom Thieves finally got there, with Ann speaking up for them all.

"You're here already?" Toya slowly walked forward, looking at all of them. "I'll tell you all later. We should focus on the mission for now."

"You really found Akira's Shadow in there?" Ryuji asked, giving Toya a confused but somewhat curious look.

"Yeah. I didn't fight him or anything, but I spoke to him. It's definitely him."

"Don't you think this is… too easy? I mean, we don't even have to send him a calling card… doesn't something seem wrong about this?" Futaba asked, looking towards everyone.

"I have a feeling this won't be _nearly_ as easy as the rest of the Shadows in Mementos." Toya answered, as he took his phone out.

"It won't be." Morgana said, walking forward. "From what I can tell, the strength of Shadows is based off of how corrupted someone's heart is. If he's been turned completely psychotic… there's no telling how powerful his Shadow is going to be. He's definitely going to be the hardest challenge we've faced so far."

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Makoto walked forward, standing beside Toya. "I think we have to try this."

"I agree. We can't let Akira suffer any longer. We must change his heart, no matter what it takes." Haru agreed, as everyone walked towards each other.

"Then it's decided. Let us not waste anymore time." Yusuke said, as everyone nodded in response. They were all somewhat nervous, but… they were still confident in their ability. This would also be the first time that all of them were actually working together… to be honest, it felt a bit weird for all of them- especially Toya. However, he had to get over it. Saving Akira was more important than anything else… and with that in mind, Toya opened the Nav app, and brought the entire group into the Metaverse.

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

"Seriously, how the hell do you manage to do that?" Toya asked, while staring at Morgana in his van form. "What kind of a cat can turn into a van?"

"I'm _not_ a cat! I'm human!"

"It's not like a human can do it either…"

"One more word and you're walking there yourself!"

"Okay, okay!" Toya rolled his eyes before getting inside of the van after everyone else, with Ryuji in the driver's seat. Ryuji driving was more concerning to him than anything else was, but… he didn't want to complain _too_ much.

"Okay, there's something I've wanted to know for a while now." Ryuji said, while still looking ahead. "How the hell does a gunblade work!?"

"I honestly have no idea. I've kinda just been winging it ever since I got it."

"Wait, not even you know how it works!?"

"I kinda just pull the trigger on it and it shoots. I don't even reload it…"

"Gimme a break… here I was thinking you were some crazy mastermind…"

"Mastermind!? I go to the same high school as you!" The conversation continued on for a bit longer, until they all finally arrived at the portal… where Akira's Shadow awaited them.

"Are you all ready?" Morgana asked, waiting right outside the portal.

"To be honest… I probably would've dropped out of school if he didn't do what he did. There's no way in hell I'll back down now!"

"We got back at Kamoshida for everything he did to Shiho, and it's all thanks to him… I'll do whatever it takes to save him!"

"It's all because of him that I was able to avenge my mother, and expose Madarame's crimes… I won't falter here!"

"If he didn't save me… I'd still dread my mother's death every single day. Now it's my turn to save him!"

"Even if my father died… he's never stopped trying to do right by all of us. That's why I'm going to fight to save him!"

"He gave me and Toya the benefit of the doubt, even after everything he heard about us… someone like him shouldn't have to suffer like this!"

"It's because of me that he ended up like this… so I'm gonna do everything I can to fix it. Let's do this!" Everyone prepared themselves, as Morgana jumped straight into the portal, bringing everyone to a small room… where they were met with none other than Akira's Shadow. They all slowly got out of the van and walked forward, along with Morgana, as he transformed back into his regular form.

"Wow, look at this! The whole freak show is in town! Welcome, welcome!" Akira's Shadow smirked, clapping as he stared at everyone. He chuckled under his breath as he looked at everyone. "You all look so determined… let me guess. You're here to 'fix' me? Here to magically change my heart and put my back to normal?" He continued chuckling on for a bit, until the smirk on his face slowly faded, giving everyone a much more serious look all of a sudden. "You all make me sick. So painfully naive to the truth of the situation… it almost hurts to see."

"Akira…" Morgana slowly walked in front of everyone else, staring directly at him. "You know this isn't right! We don't want to do things like this!"

"Oh, give me a break! This _isn't_ right? Don't make me laugh! Don't you see how futile what you're all doing is!? Changing people's hearts… putting hidden criminals in jail… what kind of good does that do!? All it's done is cause more problems to come to light! For Christ's sake- there was some maniac running around, killing people and **PRETENDING** to be us! Do you idiots really think that acting as the Phantom Thieves is a good thing if it causes that kind of bullshit to happen!?"

"That has nothing to do with the Phantom Thieves! If not for our efforts- this would have kept going on regardless!"

"You stupid, stupid cat… when will you ever learn!? The only way to fix this god forsaken society…" Suddenly, Akira's voice had more malice in it than ever- as his body twitched momentarily. "**Is to kill the sources of corruption!"**

"You seriously think that…" Toya began walking forward, his blade materializing in his hands as he stared down Akira. "If changing your heart is what it takes… then that's exactly what we'll do!"

"**Oh? Is that so?" **Akira began laughing even louder, as he extended his arms out, with a red and black aura surrounding him. "**You seriously think you can beat me? Fine!" **The red and black aura completely engulfed Akira, as he sank into the ground, forming a puddle. The entire room began to rumble for a moment, until a figure suddenly began coming out from the puddle Akira sank into… a figure that everyone recognized all too well. It was massive… and completely covered in a cloak, stained with blood. On top of that, there were two chains wrapped around it… and he had two massive guns in his hands. "**If you want proof that murdering the problems in society is the right answer… then I'll make an example of you all!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.
> 
> Anat  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Mafreidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to all foes.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Marakukaja - Buff party defense for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Counter - 10% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 65)  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.
> 
> Seiten Taisei  
LV 58
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Mazionga - Medium Electric damage to all foes.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Deathbound - Medium Physical damage to all foes 1x to 2x.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 63)  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Zorro  
LV 59
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Garudyne - Heavy Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Magarule - Medium Wind damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.  
Masukunda - Debuff agility of all foes for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Magarudyne - Heavy Wind damage to all foes.
> 
> Hecate  
LV 59
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Matarunda - Debuff attack power of all foes for 3 turns.  
Dekaja - Negate all buff effects of all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Kamu Susano-o  
LV 58
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Bufudyne - Heavy Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Mabufala - Medium Ice damage to all foes.  
Deadly Fury - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting a physical attack.  
Masukukaja - Buff party agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Myriad Slashes - Medium Physical damage to 1 foe 2x to 3x.
> 
> Milady  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Psiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Mapsio - Medium Psy damage to all foes.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to 1 foe. High Critical Rate.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 64)  
Mapsiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to all foes.


	63. Freak Show (2 of 2)

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**After School - Mementos**

"You're kidding me… he's THIS thing!? Give me a break!" Toya grit his teeth and clenched his blade tighter, staring down Akira's Shadow. He had encountered this thing before, but… he never intended to actually fight it. But now… he was forced to. Even with so many people helping him, this wouldn't be an easy fight… not even remotely easy.

"You guys need to move! This thing's power- it's higher than anything I've ever seen! There's no way you can just fight it head on!" Futaba called out to everyone.

"**She's right, you know." **Akira spoke with an excessive amount of malice in his voice, as he slowly raised both of his guns, taking aim at everyone. "**BETTER START RUNNING!" **Without any further warning, Akira started opening fire, shooting at the entire group. Everyone moved out of the way, frantically getting away from the volley of bullets being sent at everyone. But then… as they were all running out of the way and trying to survive the onslaught, Ryuji tripped, falling down to his knees.

"D-Damn it!" Ryuji tried picking himself up, but before he did, he turned his head, and saw Akira's Shadow. The malicious aura got denser and denser by the second… and it was terrifying. Akira slowly raised one of his guns and pointed straight at Ryuji.

"**The first to join me in the Metaverse… and the first to die for opposing me." **Akira began laughing maniacally, before firing towards for Ryuji's head.

"MILADY!" Haru's voice rang out, as a physical barrier was suddenly formed around Ryuji. The gunshot was deflected and sent right back towards Akira, inflicting damage onto him. She quickly ran towards Ryuji and helped him up, looking back at Akira's Shadow, who began shaking with anger.

"**You worthless little…!" **In a fit of rage, Akira raised his gun once more, this time pointing at Haru. "**BEGONE!" **He yelled out, sending a chill down Haru's spine. The blood stained cloak, and the massive guns Akira holding… it was too much for her to handle.

"Again, Milady!" In a complete state of panic, Haru called out to her Persona, forming yet another physical barrier around herself. But… when she did, Akira began to laugh. He stared at the barrier that was around Haru, the barrier that would defend her from any physical attack… but that's all it was good for.

"**FOOL!" **Akira yelled as he raised the gun forever into the air, pointing towards the ceiling, and firing. No bullet came out of the gun… but instead, a giant blue blast of nuclear magic was summoned, and it was formed right at Haru's feet. Without any chance to block the attack or dodge out of the way, Haru was hit by the brute force of the attack. The magic sent Haru flying away, soaring through the room before her body hit the wall and fall to the ground. She had become incapacitated as soon as the nuclear blas hit her… she didn't even get to feel the pain of her body hitting either the wall, or falling down to the floor. She was completely unconscious… alive, but out of the fight completely.

"N-Noir!" Ryuji yelled out as everyone gasped in surprise. Just like that… with one simple attack, Haru was taken out of commission. Part of Ryuji blamed himself… and he wanted to do something about it.

"Don't hurt Haru!" Morgana yelled out, before unleashing his Persona and letting out a massive blast of wind magic, aimed right at Akira. Seeing this, Ryuji immediately followed up with his own blast of magic, firing straight at Akira. As this was all going down… they noticed that Akira wasn't even retaliating. Instead, he was just tanking the hits.

"Don't let up! Hit him with everything you've got!" Makoto yelled out to everyone, as they all summoned their Personas. Just then, they all let out all of their magic at once barraging Akira with everything they had. The damage was adding up… even though Akira wasn't getting hurt from just one individual hit, everything all at once was adding up, especially considering 6 different Persona users all hitting him at once. Eventually, the frustration got to him. He raised both of his guns into the air… and Toya noticed that instantly. He recalled back to when Akira let out the blast that took Haru out of the fight… he unleashed it by shooting into the air. And now, he's trying to raise _both_ guns into the air, rather than just one.

"He's about to retaliate! Everyone, get out of the way, now!" Toya yelled as he quickly jumped away. Nobody was exactly sure why, but they listened to him. Sure enough, just after they got out of the way… a massive blast of pure, white energy was formed where they were originally standing.

"H-How did you know he was attacking…!?" Futaba asked, looking towards Toya.

"He can only attack by using his guns… whenever he shoots into the sky, that means he's gonna let out a blast of magic." Toya responded, before suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. "Mona, Fox, you two with me! The rest of you, try to distract him for a bit! I have a plan!"

"Got it!" Makoto called out while summoning her Persona once more, quickly mounting on top of it. Ann got on behind her, and the two of them began driving around. Gripping her whip tightly, she began attacking Akira, wildly swinging her whip around, making sure to hit Akira with every single swing. He tried to retaliate, but Makoto was driving too fast for him to even land a hit.

"Don't forget about me!" Ryuji yelled at Akira's Shadow, while ripping his mask off and dashing towards him. "Wreck 'em, Seitem Tensei!" Ryuji's Persona reeled its staff back, before smashing it against Akira's Shadow. The unexpected hit did more damage than anything Ann was doing, and it was enough to stun him for a brief moment.

"**You're pissing me off…!" **Akira grunted, and began to lift his guns up. But just then, he saw something out of the corner of his eye… he saw Morgana casting wind magic, but it wasn't directed towards him… he then took a closer look, and saw Yusuke, flying through the air. He landed against the wall, then pushed himself off of it, moving straight towards Akira. He raised his sword in the air and pushed down on one of Akira's guns.

"We won't let you hurt anyone else!" Yusuke grit his teeth as he pushed against the gun, preventing Akira from lifting his gun.

"**You little…" **Akira went to lift his other gun, but before he could, he heard the sound of Toya's hookshot zipping towards a wall. He saw him do the same thing Yusuke did, but he was pressing down on Akira's other gun.

"ATTACK HIM, NOW!" Toya yelled out to everyone, while he and Yusuke kept Akira occupied. He tried to push them off, but before he could, he saw Ryuji and Ann pull out their guns and open fire in his direction. Without any way to defend himself, he took full damage from every single bullet. He wanted to defend himself, but he couldn't… and it was annoying him more and more with every second.

"Queen, throw me at him!" Morgana yelled at Makoto, completely shocking her.

"T-Throw you!? Are you out of your mind!?"

"Just trust me! This'll work- I know it!" Makoto hesitated for a moment, before grabbing Morgana, and holding him in the air. She waited for a second, before throwing him with all her might, aiming straight at Akira. While he was in the air, Morgana suddenly transformed into a van, and rammed right into Akira. The impact of the van dealt massive damage to Akira, causing him to grunt in pain. Morgana transforms back into his original form as he's falling back to the ground, smirking after the successful attack.

"**You pieces of… GET OFF OF ME!" **In a fit of rage, Akira musters up the strength to push both Toya and Yusuke off of him. Their bodies hit the wall and they slowly slide down to the ground, wincing in pain while looking back at Akira. "**Damn fools… I'll kill you! Every single one of you!" **Akira quickly raised one of his guns into the air and fired. Just as he did, a powerful blast of thunder magic suddenly struck Morgana. Without being able to dodge due to still being in the air, Morgana got hit dead-on by the blast. He was sent flying away, and eventually got hit right into the wall next to Haru, falling down and going completely unconscious.

"Mona too!?" Ann grunted and looked back to Akira's Shadow. They were already down two people… she wasn't sure how they could win at this point. This was much harder than anything else they had ever come across… it was terrifying. Without any warning, Akira pointed his guns at everyone remaining, firing wildly at them all, with one bullet coming dangerously close to Ryuji.

"Move!" Toya yelled, as he shot his hookshot towards a wall. He grabbed on to Ryuji's hand and dragged him along. While they were flying through the air, Ann latched her whip onto Ryuji's leg, causing her to get dragged along with the two of them and effectively out of the way of every attack Akira let out.

"Anat, come!" While the three of them were zipping away, Makoto called out her Persona and mounted on top of it once more, with Yusuke getting on behind her. The two of them drove around the room to try and evade the bullets, but this only gave Akira another idea to attack. He shot his gun into the air, and when he did… a powerful blast of psychokinetic energy was let out, and it affected Makoto more than anyone else. She became unable to even drive properly, and started to spin out of control.

"Queen, you must fight against it! You cannot allow him to win!" Yusuke called out to her, but Makoto couldn't even hear it. The psychokinetic attack was her weakness… and she couldn't defend against it- no matter how hard she tried. Yusuke tried to control her Persona from there and stop safely, but he had no idea how to do so. Without any chance to stop it, the two of them ended up crashing into a wall, creating a massive cloud of smoke around them.

"Q-QUEEN!" Toya yelled towards them in a panic. He yanked his hookshot out of the wall , bringing everyone back down to the ground as he looked towards the smoke.

"H-Hey, you gotta get up! Fox! Queen!" Futaba nervously called out to the two of them, as the smoke started to clear. They were in pain, but they were slowly picking themselves up.

"**You're still conscious? That's pretty impressive. Well done!" **Akira mockingly applauded them, before shooting towards the ceiling once more. This summoned a massive blast of fire that sent the two of them flying back, causing them to crash against a wall. There was a burn mark on both of them, and their eyes were closed shut.

"**MAKOTO!" **Toya screamed as he quickly zipped towards her. He slowly raised her up in his arms, trying to shake her awake. "Hey! Come on, you have to wake up!" She had a pulse, and she was breathing, but… she was completely unconscious at this point.

"Move! You can't stay there, or Akira's Shadow will-" Just as Ann spoke, Akira took aim at Toya and fired, a massive bullet flying through the air. Time stood still for a brief moment… before suddenly, Toya felt anger building up inside of him. He clenched his fists tightly, and for a brief moment, a purple flame rose around him, quickly disappearing as Toya turned his head towards Akira's Shadow, holding on to his mask.

"**DIABOLOS!" **He roared, as he summoned his Persona. He let out a blast of dark magic, and it directly collided with the bullet Akira shot, leaving an even bigger cloud of smoke. Nobody could see through it… but they all noticed one thing. There was suddenly a blue aura around Akira's Shadow- one that lowered his defense. Just as they noticed it, they saw Toya charging through the smoke, with a look of pure fury on his face.

"**Persistent bastard… JUST DIE ALREADY!" **Akira aimed at Toya once more and began firing away at him, but just as Akira pulled the trigger, Toya jumped out of the way and fired his hookshot- but it wasn't at the wall, or the ceiling. Instead, it pierced straight through the Shadow's cloak, and dragged Toya straight towards him. He gripped his blade tightly and grit his teeth as he was quickly dragged through the air, straight into Akira's direction. He raised his blade into the air and quickly brought it down on the Shadow. He wasn't able to cut through it by any means, but he was definitely hurting it, thanks to the fact that his defense was lowered.

"Don't just stand there! Help him!" Futaba yelled out to Ryuji and Ann, as they went to pull out their guns… but at this point, they didn't have much ammo left, to the point where it wasn't even worth firing. Instead, they summoned their Personas and started blasting Akira with magic. They were doing way more damage now… it was getting to the point where if they kept it up for long enough, they might even be able to win. After recklessly slashing at Akira for a bit, Toya fired his hookshot into the ceiling to create some distance between the two before Akira could retaliate at all. As he was getting dragged away, he took aim at the Shadow and started firing at him.

"**ENOUGH!" **Akira quickly raised both of his guns into the air and fired, not giving anyone a chance to react before a white beam formed above everyone's head, directly hitting all of them. It wasn't enough to knock them out by any means… but it was enough to stop their onslaught for a bit. Toya, Ryuji, and Ann all ended up next to each other, breathing heavily from the damage they had taken, staring down Akira's Shadow. "**You pieces of shit… stop trying so hard to resist it! JUST ACCEPT YOUR FATE AND DIE!" **Akira unleashed powerful blast, this time creating a powerful, pure white explosion, and it was coming straight for all three of them, but they were still struggling to move.

"You two! Find a way to win this! Got it!?" Ann called out to Toya and Ryuji while looking towards them.

"What? What do you me-" Toya tried asking, but was cut off as Ann pushed both him and Ryuji out of the way, sending them back as the explosion hit her directly, sending her flying into the air.

"ANN!?" Ryuji called out to her as she flew through the air. He went to try and catch her, but before he could, Akira unleashed a blast of ice magic straight at her, sending her flying back towards everyone else, knocking her unconscious and leaving her body among all the rest. "Damn it… they're all down…!?" Ryuji looked back towards all of the unconscious bodies. At this point… the only two left standing were him and Toya. Futaba couldn't fight alongside them like everyone else could, she had to stay in her Persona and try to support them as best as she could, but… there wasn't much she could do in this fight- she wouldn't have made a difference at all.

"You two… please, don't give up!" Futaba called out to them, as Toya and Ryuji breathed heavily, looking towards the massive, cloaked Shadow.

"Hey, you're the one who always comes up with the crazy ideas, right…? You got any bright ideas this time?"

"That depends… You don't happen to have any more of those explosives you threw at me back in Okumura's Palace, do you?"

"I don't have any… I would've thrown them by now."

"Then no… I've got nothing this time…"

"Explosives…" Futaba repeated a word a few times to herself, before suddenly, an idea sprung up in her mind. "I've got it! I know how we're gonna beat this guy!" Futaba started rapidly pressing buttons inside of her Persona, before Toya and Ryuji had a bit of their health restored to them, allowing them to catch their breath and stand up straight... she couldn't do anything about everyone else though, they were still unconscious. "I need you two to distract him! I have a way to end this, guaranteed!"

"You do…?" Ryuji looked back towards Futaba, with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah! But it's gonna take some time, so try and stall him for as long as you can! You don't even have to hurt him, so long as he's distracted, we can win!"

"It's just you and me then…" Ryuji looked towards Toya, who was taking a deep breath and cracking his knuckles.

"You think you can run around down here while I handle things up in the air?"

"Yeah. Let's do this!" Ryuji nodded as he responded, preparing himself before Toya shot his hookshot into the ceiling, zipping up to the top.

"Hey, Akira!" Weren't you supposed to kill me days ago? What happened to that!?" Toya yelled out from the ceiling, shooting at Akira from above while zipping around to different parts of the room.

"**The hell…!?" **Akira took aim at Toya and tried shooting him, but he was far too nimble with his hookshot. He couldn't get a clean shot on him no matter how hard he tried.

"YO! Leader! What happened to me being your first kill!?" Ryuji taunted the Shadow while summoning his Persona, firing a small bolt of electricity at Akira and then running.

"**You damn… DIE ALREADY!" **Akira shot into the air, creating a white explosion that caught Ryuji in it, he was sent into the air a bit, but he grit his teeth and called out to Futaba.

"DO IT NOW, ORACLE!"

"GOT IT!" Futaba yelled back, rapidly typing inside of her Persona before pressing a giant green button, which shot out a green bomb out of it, which was flying straight towards Akira's Shadow.

"**A bomb…!? THAT WON'T WORK ON ME!" **Akira grunted before hitting the bomb while it was flying through the air, sending it back at Futaba.

"W-What!?" Futaba panicked for a moment, as she saw the bomb flying back towards her. This was her master plan… she was so confident it would work, but now, she was terrified… until the bomb suddenly stopped for a second. She looked down and saw Toya on the ground, who had fired his hookshot straight into the bomb, keeping it still.

"**What…!?"**

"YOU'RE THROUGH!" Toya yelled out, before slamming the bomb back into Akira. Just as the bomb hit him, it blew up, creating a massive explosion. There was a cloud of smoke… but there was one thing that they could see clearly. Akira's Shadow was back in his original form, back down to a normal size, face down on the floor and breathing heavily. The fight was finally over… and by some kind of miracle, they had won. Toya slowly walked towards Ryuji, who was still on the ground, but conscious. "You alright?" He asked, before holding his hand out towards Ryuji.

"Yeah… feeling like a million bucks…" Ryuji reached for Toya's hand, getting back onto his feet with his help. They walked towards Akira, who was still down on the ground.

"**I just… I don't get it…" **Akira tried picking himself up, breathing heavily as he was down on his knees, still looking towards the ground. "**Why? Why don't any of you get it…? Why do you have to try and fight against me…!? Don't you get that the way I'm proposing is the way things have to be!?"**

"Do you really think that…? Come on, man! Don't you remember what we went through back against Kamoshida!? How hard we worked!?"

"**Of course I do… but…!" **

"You can't just go around killing people, man. I wouldn't have been happy if we killed Kamoshida… and you wouldn't be happy with killing anyone else. You know that, don't you?"

"**Ryuji… you're such an idiot, you know that?" **Akira spoke, before softly chuckling. "**But… to tell the truth…"** Suddenly, a teardrop fell down from Akira's face, as he slowly looked up towards him. "**I really missed you guys…" **

"It's not too late, Akira. Everyone's still here." Toya softly spoke, looking towards Akira. "Come on. It's time to come home." Akira closed his eyes, nodding for a moment and gently smiling, before fading away into a bright light. When he disappeared… he left behind a black and white mask- the same one he used in the Metaverse. Toya slowly took hold of it and looked at it for a moment, before putting it in his pocket. "Well… we did it."

"Yeah, but we're not done…" Ryuji turned around and looked towards all of the unconscious bodies. "We've gotta carry everyone out…"

"Alright… I'll get Makoto and Haru, you get Ann and Yusuke. Futaba can carry Morgana."

"Got it!" Futaba said, slowly coming down from her Persona and grabbing Morgana, and jumping through the portal to get back to the main floor of Mementos.

"Why do I gotta carry Ann!? She's the heavy one!"

"How is _she_ the heavy one…?"

"Because! She has the biggest… you know…"

"DUDE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably ruined the emotional moment with that ending. Whoops.


	64. Savior

**November 23rd, 20XX (Wednesday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

Carrying their teammates on their shoulders, Toya and Ryuji slowly but surely made their way into Toya's house, with Futaba following behind them, who was carrying Morgana.

"Okay… just set them down here…" Toya was struggling to carry both of them, but slowly brought Makoto and Haru over to a couch, setting them down with Ryuji setting Ann and Yusuke down right next to them, while Morgana was left on the floor.

"So this is your place… huh. It's a lot cozier than I expected." Futaba looked around the room. She expected something way darker than what she saw.

"Wait, where's Akira?"

"He's upstairs. Come on, we need to make sure he's sane." Toya started slowly walking upstairs, with Ryuji and Futaba following behind him. They made their way into Ken's room, and… Akira's eyes were closed shut. Ryuji got past Toya and quickly got by Akira's side, shaking him and trying to wake him up.

"Akira!? Hey, you in there!?"

"W-What…?" Akira sounded absolutely exhausted. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "Ryuji? Futaba? And… Toya…?" Akira blinked a few times and tried to make sure he was seeing things right. He went to rub his eyes, but… he was restrained. "Where am I…? What happened?"

"Whoa… it actually worked!?" Futaba was beyond shocked. She didn't want to admit it, but… she had a lot of doubts about this plan working.

"Thank god… all of that work wasn't for nothing…" Ryuji relaxed for a second. He had faith, but… he was really nervous about everything.

"Plan…? What are you talking about?"

"We'll explain soon… probably tomorrow." Toya reached over and started untying Akira, freeing him. Akira slowly got out of the bed and stood up… but his body felt so heavy. It felt like he hadn't walked in days.

"My mind is so foggy… I can barely remember a thing."

"Don't worry about what happened right now. What matters is that you're safe… that's the most important thing." Toya slowly stretched and walked out of the room, with everyone slowly following behind him. They all made their way back downstairs, with everyone still being completely knocked out.

"Everyone…!? What happened!?" Akira was shocked to see that everyone looked so… banged up.

"Uhh… saving you might've been harder than we gave it credit for…" Ryuji looked away for a moment. This looked really bad… he couldn't imagine how confused Akira was, but he also couldn't really explain everything right this second.

"Seriously, what did I miss…?"

"Let's just go back to Leblanc… it'll be easier to explain in the morning." Futaba reassured Akira, while slowly walking over and picking Morgana back up, then heading towards the door. Akira tilted his head for a moment, but.. He decided to take their word for it, and followed Futaba.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go home too… I'm exhausted…"

"Wait, what about everyone else? Are we just gonna leave them here?" Toya asked them, but everyone was already heading out the door, leaving everyone behind. "Guys!?" He tried asking again, but there was no use. They were already closing the door behind them, meaning Toya was left with everyone else passed out in his house. "I guess it's just a sleepover then… give me a break…" He turned around and saw that everyone was _finally_ beginning to come to their senses.

"T-Toya…? Where…" Makoto tried talking, but she still had a horrible headache, so she could barely even think.

"Whoa, easy…" Toya quickly got over to her and held her in place. She looked more tired than she did hurt… which was a bit relieving for him, to be completely honest.

"What happened…? Did we lose…?" Haru asked, rubbing her eyes and looking around.

"We won… just barely. Akira seems to be okay now… he already left to go back to Leblanc with Futaba. Ryuji just left too."

"So, where are we now? Is this your place…?" Ann asked, slowly getting up and stretching.

"Yeah. Me and Ryuji had to carry everyone out, and this was the closest place we could get to. Everyone else already left though, so you guys can leave if you really want to."

"Nah… I'm not up for walking all the way back. Can I just crash on the couch?"

"I'd prefer doing the same… I feel as if I'd fall asleep on the train at this rate…" Neither Ann or Yusuke wanted to leave… it was kind of weird, but… Toya didn't really mind.

"Alright… you two can stay the night, if you really want to." Toya slowly looked towards Makoto and Haru again. Makoto had closed her eyes already, and Haru was also half asleep. "You can have Ken's room if you wanna stay the night too, Haru."

"Yeah… thanks…" Haru slowly got up and started going upstairs. Toya got another look at Makoto… she was trying to keep her eyes open, but she was visibly exhausted.

"Want me to tell your sister that you're gonna stay the night here?"

"...Please…" Toya slowly lifted Makoto up into the air and started walking towards the stairs, before turning back to Ann and Yusuke. Ann was making her way to the now free couch, while Yusuke was beginning to fall asleep on the couch he was already on.

"_Times sure do change…_" He thought to himself, before heading upstairs into his room. He gently set Makoto down on the bed and got her under a blanket, before sitting down and taking his phone out.

TOYA: It worked…

TOYA: We somehow managed to actually save Akira.

SAE: You did!?

SAE: How!?

TOYA: Do you mind if I just tell you in the morning…?

TOYA: I'm exhausted…

SAE: I suppose so.

SAE: What about Makoto? Is she with you?

TOYA: Yeah. We worked with everyone in the Phantom Thieves to do it.

TOYA: It worked, but… we're all exhausted.

TOYA: She's gonna stay here for the night.

SAE: That's fine. Remember to explain everything to me tomorrow.

TOYA: I will, I will… Goodnight, Sae.

"Alright… I told her. She's fine with you staying the night." Toya looked over to Makoto, but… she was completely asleep. He got under the blanket and got closer to her, gently wrapping his arms around her.

"_This is the first time we've spent a night together in a while…_" He thought to himself, before pulling Makoto in closer. "_I wish this would happen more often…_" He closed his eyes and fell asleep while holding her… it felt too relaxing for him to stay awake any longer.

**November 24th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Early Morning - Shujin Academy **

AKIRA: So wait, let me get this right…

AKIRA: Akechi planned on betraying us, Toya stopped him, but then Akechi turned me psychotic… and I tried killing Toya?

FUTABA: You tried killing him twice.

FUTABA: He carried you all the way from Mementos back to Leblanc and had a massive knife wound in his shoulder…

AKIRA: What about Akechi? What happened to him?

RYUJI: Turns out he had a Palace this entire time…

RYUJI: Toya went in to it alone, but we ended up following him a few minutes later. He was the only one who actually fought Akechi though.

AKIRA: So… did he kill Akechi then…?

YUSUKE: We thought he would. However, he surprised all of us. Instead of killing him, he ended up saving him, and changing his heart.

ANN: You should probably just talk to him about it yourself. He's in the same class as us.

AKIRA: You're right.

AKIRA: I'll talk to him when I get the chance.

**November 24th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Lunchtime - Shujin Academy**

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?" Toya asked, leaning against a wall and looking at Akira.

"There was something I needed to know… something I needed to hear from you."

"From me? Sure. What is it?"

"I understood most of the recap that everyone else gave me. I was turned psychotic, you saved me with the help of everyone else. I get that part. But, the thing that surprised me… is that you saved Akechi."

"I figured it would. I mean… I didn't go in expecting to save him, either. I mean… he killed my brother, and then he framed you guys for it, and pretended to feel remorse for it."

"Then… why did you do it? Why did you save him?"

"...Did they ever tell you what Akechi's Shadow was?"

"They said it was a robot of some kind. They didn't go into much detail since we were in a rush."

"It wasn't some ordinary robot… it was a damaged robot. There were sparks flying off of it, it looked rusty… it was unlike any Shadow I had ever seen. It was… damaged. Damaged beyond repair. But then, after he started to malfunction… someone else came out. He called the Shadow useless… and then took out a remote. It only had one button on it, and it had 'SELF-DESTRUCT' written on it."

"So you're saying… Akechi was going to die to someone _else_?"

"Essentially. I'll admit that I had full intentions of going in there and ending him myself, but… after seeing that, things just felt wrong. I didn't forgive him for anything he did by any means- and I still don't. But… I can sympathize with what he's done, at the very least."

"...You're different than what I expected, you know that?"

"I figured you didn't think I'd do that. To be honest… I feel like even Makoto and Haru were expecting him to die. Had things panned out differently… maybe I would have actually done it." Toya turned away for a moment, closing his eyes and sighing. "I've done a lot of things in the Metaverse… but the one thing I've never actually done is kill somebody. Granted, it's because of me that the old SIU Director is dead… and the same could be said for my brother. But… I've never killed anyone myself. I could never bring myself to do something like that… it's like a line that if you cross, you can never go back to where you originally were. No matter what you do… you'll always be a killer."

"I could never kill anyone either… though, I guess there are a lot of people who imagine I've done something similar, thanks to the reputation I have as a criminal…"

"How did that happen, anyways? What gave you a criminal record? I can't see you intentionally doing anything with ill intent."

"It was late at night… I saw some guy grabbing a woman, keeping her in place and trying to get her to come with him… he looked drunk. I tried to get the woman away from him, but… he ended up falling, and hurting himself. There were nearby police officers, and… they seemed to recognize the man. It's like they were scared of him or anything. He told them that I assaulted him and hurt him… so I got taken away, and now I have an assault on my record for it."

"For something like that…?" Toya looked down for a moment. "That guy you mentioned… do you remember what he looked like?"

"He was bald… wore a suit, had a really condescending look on his face. And his voice… his voice is the one thing I'll never forget, no matter what."

"Bald, in a suit… so he looked like he could have been a politician?"

"A politician? Maybe… why do you ask?"

"Give me a second." Toya took out his phone and started to look something up. The description Akira gave… honestly, it was a longshot at best. Toya knew this was extremely unlikely, but… it was worth a shot. He had to tell everyone about Shido's Palace later anyways, so there was no harm. He opened a video on his phone and signaled Akira to come stand next to him. "This is a video taken just yesterday. Tell me if you recognize this man." Akira nodded, and the video started to play.

"_Now is the time to rebuild this crumbling nation! Our government is littered with scandals, and criminals have taken a strong foothold in our society! Such a disgraceful past must be discarded… we must set sail into a new future of dreams and hope! So our children who carry the burden of the next generation can be proud of their country! So our nation can once again become a powerful one with abundant wealth and luxury! So our beautiful home will be acknowledged as the best country in the world!"_

"_This voice…!_"

"_Let us all set sail toward a happy future together! I hope to continue serving you all!"_ The video stopped. Toya turned over to Akira, and saw his eyes were wider than ever before.

"He's the one…!"

"It's really him…?" Toya was shocked. He didn't expect that to actually work, but… it did. "That man you just saw was Masayoshi Shido. The person who tried to blow up Akechi's Shadow… it was a cognitive version of him."

"He's connected with Akechi.. But… how is that possible…!?"

"Akira… call your group to Leblanc once school is done. There's something I need to tell all of you… it's about that man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toya's Confidants:
> 
> ? ? ? ? ? [The JESTER] - Rank 9  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 8  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 9  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 8  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)


	65. Common Enemy

**November 24th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Lunchtime - Shujin Academy**

AKIRA: Are you all free after school today?

RYUJI: Yeah, I got time.

ANN: Same here.

YUSUKE: I should be available as well.

FUTABA: Why? What's up?

AKIRA: I need you guys to come to Leblanc.

AKIRA: Me and Toya figured something out…

AKIRA: And based on the way he was talking, I think there's even more to it.

FUTABA: Figured something out?

ANN: Oh yeah! Remember when we heard Toya say he has something we'd want to hear about yesterday?

YUSUKE: But what could he possibly have to tell us?

AKIRA: It's… about my past.

AKIRA: Rememberer how I told you all that there was a man who got me arrested for no apparent reason?

AKIRA: We found him.

RYUJI: Wait, are you for real!?

RYUJI: You found the asshole that did this to you!?

FUTABA: We gotta learn more about this! How much more do you think Toya has?

AKIRA: It sounded like Toya was already looking into him…

AKIRA: The fact that he's the one who got me arrested is just the icing on the cake.

ANN: Wow… talk about a crazy fate for the two to be connected.

YUSUKE: We'll all have to show up and learn more about it.

YUSUKE: Do you think it could be Metaverse related as well?

RYUJI: He sounds like the asshole who'd have a Palace, that's for sure!

FUTABA: Speaking of a Palace…

FUTABA: I'm sorry to change the subject so suddenly, but…

FUTABA: I… figured it out.

ANN: Figured what out?

FUTABA: Toya's location. The missing keyword to his Palace.

FUTABA: I found it earlier today…

RYUJI: For real!? You figured that out!?

FUTABA: Somehow. I noticed something about him…

FUTABA: He's always so secretive in the real world. He only trusts his inner circle- he's still only _now_ gonna tell us something that has directly to do with our leader, but…

FUTABA: That all changes in the Metaverse. He becomes way more… aggressive, and assertive. He acts like nothing can stop him- even in his fight with Akechi, he was acting cocky the entire time, so…

FUTABA: I entered "Metaverse"... and it worked.

RYUJI: Wait- his Palace is the Metaverse itself!? How does that even work!?

RYUJI: Can we even _enter_ his Palace when we're already in the Metaverse!?

AKIRA: Morgana's completely stumped…

ANN: Well, there's gotta be some way!

YUSUKE: I agree. However…

YUSUKE: Perhaps we should focus on the other matter at hand first.

YUSUKE: Changing Toya's heart doesn't seem… urgent.

RYUJI: Yeah, he's right…

RYUJI: Toya seems like he just wants to make things right recently.

RYUJI: I mean- he's the one who figured out how to save Akira.

ANN: Yeah...

ANN: I used to think he was just evil, but… I'm not really sure about it anymore.

ANN: I mean, it seems like he feels guilt, right?

FUTABA: For sure. And he's been helping us out a lot recently.

YUSUKE: I still think we should keep an eye on it.

YUSUKE: Futaba, do you think you could prepare a calling card while we're still at school?

YUSUKE: I believe that as soon as we deal with whatever we learn of today, we should shift our priorities back towards him.

FUTABA: Got it!

FUTABA: I'll drop it off at Leblanc later.

ANN: Make sure Toya doesn't see it!

RYUJI: Yeah, we're screwed out of ever taking his Treasure if he sees it!

FUTABA: Don't worry, I won't let him!

FUTABA: See you guys after school!

TOYA: Hey, are you two busy after school?

TOYA: Something big is coming…

MAKOTO: Something big…?

HARU: What do you mean?

TOYA: Can you two stop by Leblanc later today?

TOYA: I was talking to Akira a few minutes ago, and… well, we found something out.

TOYA: Remember that thing I said I needed to tell you two about yesterday?

MAKOTO: Oh, it has to do with that?

TOYA: Yeah. I would have told you yesterday, but… well, you two were basically blacked out by the time we were done with saving Akira.

HARU: I'm still a bit sore after that…

HARU: How did we actually win that?

TOYA: A bomb.

MAKOTO: ...I'm sorry, what?

TOYA: Yeah. Apparently Futaba can make a bomb.

TOYA: ...So we threw it at him.

MAKOTO: That… worked…?

TOYA: I don't really know how it did either.

HARU: Seriously, how did we sleep through an explosion…?

TOYA: Beats me.

TOYA: Okay, that's not the point though!

TOYA: It's about something we saw in Akechi's Palace, too.

TOYA: You two remember that guy in the suit we saw?

MAKOTO: Wasn't he a politician…?

MAKOTO: Wait, wasn't that Masayoshi Shido!?

HARU: What on earth could you have to do with him!?

TOYA: Just… come to Leblanc after school, please.

TOYA: It'll be easier to explain to everyone at once.

MAKOTO: I'll be there.

HARU: Yeah, me too!

**November 24th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Leblanc**

"Thanks for showing up." Toya said, as he walked into the shop with Makoto and Haru, looking at everyone else. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time with this. It's pretty urgent overall, so I didn't want to wait any longer than I had to."

"What's this about, anyways? You keeping something from us?" Ryuji asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Relax. I only learned about this yesterday. I would have said something to you sooner, but saving Akira was a bigger priority to me, and I figure it was bigger for the rest of you as well."

"Akira said this has to do with the guy who got him arrested. Do you really know who might have done it?" Morgana said, getting up onto a table.

"Yes, I do." Toya slowly took out his phone, opening the nav app. "He's a well-known politician who's running for Prime Minister. His name is Masayoshi Shido."

"Match found." Everyone's eyes bolted open when the sound of Toya's phone rang out.

"Hold on- a politician as popular as Shido has a Palace…? How can that be?" Yusuke asked, slightly tilting his head. He couldn't doubt what he was hearing, but… it was still kind of unbelievable.

"When we were all in Akechi's Palace, the man we saw who tried to blow Akechi's Shadow up… it was a cognitive version of him. My sister recognized him right away."

"What does a politician like him have to do with Akechi though? Are they working together?" Ann asked.

"They _were_ working together. He was acting vicariously through Akechi, ordering mental shutdowns left and right… basically, he was trying to eliminate anyone that opposed him. As such… it's likely that I'm one of his targets now."

"Can he even do anything to you at this point? Akechi was the only one who could cause mental shutdowns, right? It's not like he can just assassinate you." Futaba closed her eyes and tried to process this. A politician that was supposedly in charge of everything… it was outlandish.

"That's true. Whether I'm the target of his or not doesn't really matter to me. But, even still… he has to be dealt with. After all… if you want proof that he's the source of corruption in the government, his Palace is the actual Diet Building."

"Match found."

"You didn't tell me all of this when we talked in the bathroom…"

"I know. I wanted to tell everyone at the same time. This is the first time Makoto and Haru are hearing about his Palace as well. Akechi told me all of the specifics of it yesterday."

"Hold on, Akechi told you about all of this? But… why would he help you like that?" Haru asked, audibly confused as to why Akechi was suddenly helping Toya.

"Because… Shido is also Akechi's father." Everyone had visible confusion on their faces as they heard that. "It's shocking, I know. But… it's the truth. But that's besides the point. The point is… Shido needs to be stopped at all costs. He's responsible for all of the mental shutdowns… as well as getting Akira arrested months ago. But… given how big of a figure Shido is, I don't really think I could take him down alone. Even if I asked Makoto and Haru to help- it would still take too long. After all.. We're on a bit of a timer."

"A timer? What do you mean?" Akira asked.

"We can't allow someone like him to become Prime Minister. After all, if that were to happen… the country would be controlled by someone completely corrupt. Normally, we'd have plenty of time, as Election Day isn't until December 18th. However… due to how much death there has been in our country, they're in a hurry to elect someone as Prime Minister. As a result… Election Day is being moved to December 8th."

"December 8th!? That's in 2 weeks! Can we really stop him in time!?" Morgana yelled out, taken aback by how sudden this all was.

"I think so. If we all work together… I'm sure we can get through his Palace fast enough." Suddenly, Toya heard his phone start ringing. "Sorry, give me a second." He answered his phone and turned away. "Hello?"

"Toya? Something happened."

"Sae? What is it?"

"Goro Akechi has been arrested."

"Wait, what!? Why!?"

"They just took him in… nobody knows why."

"Damn it… it's probably Shido's influence."

"You think Shido did this!?"

"Nobody else could have done this so quickly, and for no public reason." Toya closed his eyes and sighed for a moment, contemplating what he was going to do. "I'm gonna go see him myself. Ask Makoto to explain everything about Shido to you when you get the chance."

"Okay, I will. Stay safe, Toya."

"Yeah, you too." Toya hung up his phone and put it in his pocket, looking back towards everyone else. "Sorry about that… but something came up.

"Why do you need me to explain everything about Shido to Sis…?"

"Because Akechi just got arrested. Nobody else could have gotten him arrested so quickly… only Shido could have done it. I need to go see him myself to confirm everything, but… the rest of you, please think about everything I said to you. I'm going into Shido's Palace regardless, but… I'll need all the help I can get." Saying that, Toya walked outside, heading towards the subway station and making his way towards the most nearby prison, where Akechi would be located.

**November 24th, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

Toya finally got home, after a long day at the prison. He spent so long trying to get to Akechi, but… they wouldn't allow him anyone to talk to him. Shido was keeping Akechi completely off limits… at the rate things were going, nobody would even know Akechi was in jail until they all noticed he was missing. It was going to be a complete pain… but it wasn't the worst thing. In a way, he was safer there than he was anywhere else, so it wasn't _all_ bad. Toya slowly laid down in his bed, before feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket.

AKIRA: Are you still busy, Toya?

TOYA: No, I just got home.

TOYA; They're not even allowing anyone to see Akechi while he's in jail… that pretty much confirms what I thought though. It was definitely Shido who did this.

RYUJI: His influence is really that big…?

TOYA: It is.

ANN: You know what Shido's keyword is, right?

TOYA: Yeah. It'a Cruiser.

MAKOTO: Wait, so he thinks of the entire Diet Building as… his own Cruiser…!?

YUSULE: I can't even imagine what it would look like…

FUTABA: I don't even wanna imagine it. I thought the giant desert was bad, but… this is crazy!

HARU: Giant desert…?

ANN: It's a long story, painful story.

AKIRA: Anyways, that's not the point.

AKIRA: We were all talking things earlier… and you're right. We can't let Shido get elected. With someone like him as Prime Minister, the country is doomed.

RYUJI: So we're all going in there together to take him down!

TOYA: You're all coming…?

TOYA: Thank you. All of you.

TOYA: We might actually be able to stop him in time then…

ANN: So, do we meet outside the Diet Building tomorrow?

TOYA: Yeah. Let's all meet there once school ends. We can't afford to waste time.

MAKOTO: This feels like… the final enemy, kind of. Does anyone else get that feeling?

ANN: Yeah, totally. Shido really gives off that final boss vibe.

FUTABA: Ooooh, do you think he'd have his own theme song?

RYUJI: Oh, totally!

"_Are they always like this…? How the hell did they make it so far like this?_" Toya thought to himself, before putting his phone down. This was it… after they were all opposed to each other for months, this would be the first time that everyone was working together to enter a Palace… they already did something similar with saving Akira, but this felt… different, in a way. Either way, the sepcifics of it didn't matter. What mattered is that they got the job done… this was for the sake of the entire country. Not only that, but… for Akira, it was personal. Everything was on the line… Toya couldn't falter here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Triple Down - Light Gun damage to all foes 3 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.
> 
> Anat  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Mafreidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to all foes.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Marakukaja - Buff party defense for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Counter - 10% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 65)  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.
> 
> Orpheus-Picaro  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cadenza - Restore 50% HP of party.  
Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.
> 
> Izanagi-Picaro  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cross Slash - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe 2x, high accuracy.  
Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Maziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to all foes.  
Marakukaja - Increase party's Defense for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 59)  
Wild Thunder - Severe Electric damage to all foes.
> 
> Arsene  
LV 55
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Negative Pile - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Abyssal Wings - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Masukunda - Decrease all foes' Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 60)  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Seiten Taisei  
LV 59
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Mazionga - Medium Electric damage to all foes.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Deathbound - Medium Physical damage to all foes 1x to 2x.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 63)  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Zorro  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Garudyne - Heavy Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Magarule - Medium Wind damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.  
Masukunda - Debuff agility of all foes for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Magarudyne - Heavy Wind damage to all foes.
> 
> Hecate  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Matarunda - Debuff attack power of all foes for 3 turns.  
Dekaja - Negate all buff effects of all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Kamu Susano-o  
LV 59
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Bufudyne - Heavy Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Mabufala - Medium Ice damage to all foes.  
Deadly Fury - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting a physical attack.  
Masukukaja - Buff party agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Myriad Slashes - Medium Physical damage to 1 foe 2x to 3x.
> 
> Milady  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Psiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Mapsio - Medium Psy damage to all foes.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to 1 foe. High Critical Rate.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 64)  
Mapsiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to all foes.


	66. Cruiser of Pride (1 of 4)

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Early Morning - Diet Building**

Despite the fact that he hadn't been elected Prime Minister just yet, Masayoshi Shido still sat comfortably in the Diet Building. Soon… this entire country would be his. Or at least, under normal circumstances, it would be. However, two wrenches were thrown into his plan… both of which had to do with the Phantom Thieves. For starters, the younger brother of the now deceased Ken Kazero, Toya Kazero, was telling everyone in the country that the Phantom Thieves were actually innocent, and did not commit any real crimes. If it were almost anybody else, it would have went completely ignored… but due to his brother's fame, it got people talking. There were people who believed him- and people who wanted to see more proof. Nobody had completely written the Phantom Thieves off as criminals- not anymore. However, this wasn't even the biggest problem Shido was facing… there was another one. During his entire campaign, he had Goro Akechi do his dirty work for him, eliminating the people who stood in his way and as a result, climbing up the ranks in society even faster than he normally would have. However… Akechi had been dodging him for days now. Avoiding him at all costs… it was unlike him. Something had to be up… which was even more evident by the fact that Toya was the one to show up on TV, rather than him. As a result of this, Shido had organized Akechi's arrest, and completely cut him off from the outside world. Akechi is the one who had the evidence of who the Phantom Thieves are… Shido needed to have it. He needed to know their names- or at least their faces. He could do the rest from there… and if things got ugly, he'd get his own hands dirty. Just as he went through this thought process, he heard his phone ringing.

"What is it?"

"The target has been acquired, sir. Awaiting further orders."

"Good. Bring him underground where nobody will find him… and tell me once you've done it."

"Yes sir. We'll report back as soon as the task is done, sir." Shido hung up his phone after hearing this. He would resolve things before Election Day… or rather, by the end of this week. He would have absolutely nothing in his way… he would get into the ultimate position of power, no matter what.

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Diet Building**

"Are you all ready?" Toya asked, as everyone slowly walked towards the Diet Building, with Akira being the one holding his phone with the Nav open. "We can't back down now. We have barely any time at all… it's not or never."

"There's no way we're gonna fail now!"

"It's a bit nerve wracking, but… I'm sure we've got this!"

"We've already come this far… we cannot back down now!"

"And we have more people on our side than ever!"

"Surely we can handle whatever Shido's Palace throws at us!"

"The ultimate task for the Phantom Thieves… taking someone like Shido down will be our biggest challenge yet, but I know we can do it"!

"Everything we've all gone through has just been training… it's time for the real challenge to begin!" The entire group expressed their enthusiasm, with Toya and Akira looking back towards them, nodding their heads.

"Let's get to work, then. Send us in, Akira." Toya said, looking towards Akira.

"Right." Akira said calmly, as he tapped a button on his phone. While they were all being transported to the cognitive world… thoughts were racing through his mind. This was the first time that going through a Palace would be personal for him… for so long, he went through Palaces and watched people go against darkness in their lives. Ryuji and Ann with Kamoshida, Yusuke with Madarame, Futaba with herself, and Haru with her father… this was the first time that things were personal for him. The one who ruined his life… the man who was behind everything that went wrong in this country… it all connected back to Shido. Thoughts of revenge went through his mind, but… those thoughts weren't important. What was truly important… was the end result of this Palace. Changing Shido's heart… that took priority over everything- and he knew that very well.

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Front Deck)**

"Did we change…? We went in, right?" Ryuji asked, as he looked towards everyone else. Everything looked the same so far…

"The security guards seem to be gone, but it's difficult to tell for certain…" Makoto replied, beginning to look around.

"This is what Sae's Palace was like too, right? Things mostly looked the same until you got inside…" Toya added on, beginning to look around himself. It was impossible to tell what the difference was right away…

"But this time, the Diet Building remains unchanged…" Yusuke said, staring at the building directly.

"Ah… The gate wasn't open earlier though." Haru noticed this. This was the first thing they noticed that was actually different, minus the fact that there were no guards.

"Wait, look! Mona's appearance is different." Ann noticed, as everyone turned towards Morgana. He had completely shifted into his thief attire.

"That means we're definitely in a Palace." Futaba added on, looking back at everyone else.

"Let's look around." Akira said, walking towards the building. They began looking around for clues, but… Futaba turned the other way. What she saw put her in absolute shock.

"What the heck…?" She said, as she looked out. Everyone quickly ran over to her, but… what they saw put them in the same shock. They saw buildings, but… they were completely submerged in a body of water. The cruiser that was mentioned… they were already on top of it.

"Even though this country may sink, he alone will survive… that's what this cognition is about, huh…?" Haru said under her breath, looking out towards the buildings.

"This is bullshit…! A country that children can be proud of, my ass! It's completely sunken in his head! If a guy like this stands above everyone, we're seriously done for!"

"This is beyond ridiculous…"

"What in the world…?"

"Whether it be for glory or for simply a reward… my father died because of someone like this!"

"We gotta sink Shido instead of this country!"

"A Palace with not just the center of distortion, but the entire country sunken… I can't believe there's someone with this tremendous of a desire… Be careful! This will be completely different from past Palaces!"

"We can't get intimidated by this. We have to keep on!"

"Hazard's right. Let's go!"

"We have a couple weeks before he gets elected… let us not waste anymore time. We'll all follow behind you, Joker."

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Entrance Hall)**

As they all walked into the building, everyone was immediately changed into their Thief attire, which they all noticed within seconds.

"I understand why he might already see us as threats… but why are even the passengers wearing masks?"

"You think they're tryin' to be Phantom Thieves, back like Haru with that Beauty Thief stuff?"

"Th-That's quite enough!"

"Whatever the reason, it reflects Shido's mentality. Surely he doesn't view others normally."

"If I had to guess… they're wearing masks because Shido sees no personality within them. Who they truly are doesn't matter, so they all hide under similar looking masks to show that… Shido thinks they're all the same."

"Hazard's probably right… I'm still surprised they even appear as people, though…"

"It's very likely that we'll end up in battles from here forward. Be on your guard, everyone!" Morgana called out, as they all started moving forward, following behind Akira. Toya felt a bit weird following behind someone else, but… it was probably for the best that he acted in-line. They all went up a flight of stairs… and as soon as they did, a Shadow appeared before them.

"Joker, an enemy!"

"Urgh, it's attackin' us with all these people 'round!?" Before they had a chance to prepare themselves, the Shadow transformed into a massive guard dog, staring everyone down. It immediately shot out fire magic, but everyone was able to get out of the way more than fast enough. They had all gone through a lot of training… they were all much faster than Akira remembered them being.

"Fire magic…? It probably has a weakness to ice then." Toya said, looking towards the guard dog while taking cover.

"Leave that to me! Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke yelled out as he ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona. He fired off a blast of ice magic that directly collided with the guard dog, causing it to lose its footing and fall onto its stomach.

"Let's finish this quick!" Akira called out to everyone, as they all rushed in, attacking the guard dog all at once and finishing it off before it got a chance to hurt anyone.

"Ah, is this a show of sorts? Mr. Shido never fails to keep his guests entertained!"

"Indeed! Those privileged enough to be on this ship are on the winning team!" The cognitive being that were in the hall began laughing among themselves as they watched the battle.

"What is with these people…? Why do they not feel any danger after what they just witnessed?"

"It seems they think no harm will come to them because they're here on Shido's ship."

"They're not even sensin' danger… C'mon, let's make 'em see what this ship really is!" The group continued moving on, until coming across a massive set of golden doors.

"These huge doors are obviously suspicious. I wonder what's through here."

"There are slots to stick in something like a keycard… Whoa, there's 5 of them!"

"Four hundred seventy-five people in favor, zero against."

"I hear something."

"Since there is no one against the plan, this bill will be unanimously passed as drafted."

"Passed? What's goin' on? Was that Shido's voice?"

"If this truly is the Representatives Chamber as written, beyond here must be the main assembly hall."

"...The what now?"

"The big conference room you'd see on the news."

"Ohhh, that thing. Gotcha. ...So, what're they doin' inside?"

"Probably just some 'vote'. By vote, I mean everyone agreeing with whatever the hell come to Shido's mind."

"So he's doign whatever he wants by keeping only his supporters in there…"

"What do we do to get in, though? Should we find these keycards?"

"Maybe we need some kind of qualification. One that vows to be his follower or swear loyalty."

"So basically, we need to prove that we're on his side."

"We'll have to pretend."

"You sure move on quick…"

"But what's this qualification thing about?"

"Why don't we ask the guests on the ship?"

"Great idea."

"That thought never crossed my mind."

"Asking around doesn't sound like a bad idea. The guests here are the cognitive versions of them in Shido's mind. They'll know any secrets he shared."

"True. You have a point." They all continued talking amongst themselves, before breaking off and gathering a bit of information, then meeting up in a nearby safe room to discuss everything they learned.

"...So, we gotta get a "letter of introduction" from the five VIPs?"

"And those letters become the keycards?"

"Exactly. Now, let's go over what all of us have learned. First, according to my intel… One of the VIPs is an influential politician by the name of Ooe. he's supposedly seen at the restaurant at night and sits at a table near the window."

"Um, I'll go next. I heard about a prominent VIP who used to be… nobility? It sounds like he's usually by the pool."

"Next is my intelligence. It seems the president of a television station is also a VIP. He always plays slots at night. It would seem he spends his money quite lavishly."

"Crap, I'm startin' to forget people already…"

"Next is my turn! Supposedly one of the VIPs is the president of an IT company. He's always in his room and reportedly enters from an exclusive hallway."

"I have something on the last VIP. He's known as the 'cleaner', and supposedly, he's… dangerous. We'd be better off checking out the rest of the VIPs first."

"Cleaner? I wonder what they mean by that."

"Wait a minute. After all the VIPs we listed, this one's a cleaner? Are you sure he's a VIP, Hazard?"

"I'm positive. Besides… with an ambiguous title such as that… I'm sure he's more than just some custodian."

"My memory's, uh… not so great… Anyways, who was who? Uhhh…"

"I don't think you'll need to worry about remembering everyone." Toya said, as he got out of his seat and stood up. "With such a massive time restraint on our hands, we need to be more efficient with our time than ever. That said, wouldn't it be best if we all split up into teams of 2 or 3 and got individual letters like that?"

"Wait, splitting up…!? Doesn't that sound dangerous?" Morgana asked, with a surprised tone in his voice.

"I agree with him. We don't have the luxury of taking our time here… splitting up is the best option. Let's decide on teams now." Akira said, as he looked towards everyone, thinking to himself what the teams should be.

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Diet Building**

"Sir, the target has been brought to the disclosed location. Awaiting further orders." Shido chuckled to himself as he heard the man speak.

"Play nice for a bit. Try to get some information out of him… see if he's willing to do this the easy way before resorting to the hard way. If he resists, then… well, contact me again if that is to happen."

"Roger that, sir. We'll report back to you with updates as soon as we have them."

"Excellent." Shido hung up the phone, and began laughing to himself once more. Soon… everything would be in place once more.


	67. Cruiser of Pride (2 of 4)

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Restaurant)**

After searching around the ship for a membership card, Toya and Makoto were able to walk into the restaurant. They looked around and absorbed their surroundings for a moment.

"This place really is luxurious…" Toya said, while eyeing around the room. It was really nice… if he wasn't in the mind of a corrupt politician who was at fault for most of the things that went wrong in the country, he would love to relax here.

"Hey, look at that." Makoto pointed towards a table that had a vase of blue flowers on it. "The waiter said that tables with blue flowers are reserved for special guests, didn't he?"

"Yeah. That's probably where we'll find the guy we're looking for. I don't see any other reserves tables, either."

"Why don't we have a seat at the table next to it and wait for him?"

"Good call. Let's go." Toya started walking towards the table with Makoto following behind him. They sat down at the table, facing towards each other and taking a look at the menus that were already on the table. "Is… is this… French…?" Toya gave a puzzled look at the menu, while Makoto calmly raised her hand in the air, as a waiter came over to her.

"I'll have the sauteed foie gras. A salad garnished with truffles… and roasted lamb please." Toya gave an even more surprised look as he heard Makoto speak.

"I-I'll have the same as her, please." The waiter nodded his head in response and walked away. Toya's gaze turned back towards Makoto. "Okay, when the hell did you learn how to read French?"

"It's not _that_ challenging… is it?"

"For someone who has no knowledge on French culture whatsoever… it definitely is _that_ challenging." Toya sighed, before taking a look around again. "You know, my expectations for my first time at a fancy diner with you was… definitely not something like this."

"D-Did you plan to do that?"

"Well I mean, _eventually_. Though… I definitely didn't plan for it to be on a cognitive cruise ship owned by an evil politician."

"...Let's do this in a real diner next time, then. Do you have any recommendations?"

"One with menus that I can actually understand, preferably." Makoto softly chuckled under her breath. She didn't want to get distracted on a mission as important as this, but… she couldn't really help it.

"On whose permission are you sitting there, brats?" Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted the moment of peace they had. Toya turned around and saw a powerful looking politician walking over towards the two of them, wearing a mask, just like everyone else.

"Permission? Sorry, but I don't see a reservation here." Toya responded, glaring at the man.

"It'd be a nuisance if you'd make a racket next to my table. I wish to dine leisurely. Children like you who're simply hungry should leave." Toya's glare got more intense as the man spoke, which Makoto quickly noticed.

"I apologize for our discourtesy." Makoto slowly rose out of her seat and spoke to the man, catching his attention.

"If you understand, then go home."

"Excuse me, but might you be Mr. Ooe?"

"Indeed I am."

"This will be an impudent request, but would you provide us with a letter of introduction to… Mr. Shido?"

"From the looks of it, you appear to be minors. Why do you need an introduction?"

"We wish to be granted an audience with him… His political ideology resonates so much with us… Of course, the same can be said about you, Mr. Ooe."

"You have quite the silver tongue for one so young… not that I mind it. Are you a high school student?"

"Yes, sir."

"Speaking of high schools… I've heard that some principal somewhere kicked the bucket. He supposedly tried to leak Mr. Shido's name…" Toya and Makoto's eyes widened for a moment. The only person he could possibly be talking about was Kobayakawa… but how was he ever affiliated with Shido? "Had he simply obeyed, he could've remained in the upper echelons. To think he would cast all of that away. An elite such as myself can't even fathom why someone would do such a thing. If you pledge your loyalty, you're given the honor of selecting those who would have mental shutdowns."

"Selecting those who would have mental shutdowns, you say?" Toya finally spoke again, catching the attention of Ooe. "Did you request to trigger a mental shutdown in someone, then?"

"Hm? Ah, more or less."

"Really? A powerful politician such as yourself? I can only imagine it was someone rather important if they caught your attention. Isn't that right?"

"Important? No, the the target himself was nothing that impressive."

"Someone not that impressive? Surely you're just being modest."

"Do you recall the subway accident early last spring? The one I had targeted was that engineer."

"The engineer…? What did you gain out of targeting someone like that?"

"It was to take out the president of some company and a diplomat who sided with current government."

"I see… That was very useful, Mr. Ooe." Makoto said, gaining the politician's attention once more.

"Hm?"

"Actually, my sister is a prosecutor at the Public Prosecutors Office. I could pass on what you just said to her… How about it? Won't you give us a letter of introduction?"

"Is that a threat? Who are you two?"

"The letter of introduction, please/"

"Don't get cocky, brats! I'll never give you one!"

"So you have one, but won't give it to us?" Toya slowly rose up from his seat, chuckling to himself. "I was kind of hoping you'd say that. After all... " His gunblade materialized in his hands, and he pointed it towards Ooe. "Someone like you needs to be put in their place!" Ooe glared at both Toya and Makoto, before sinking into the ground and transforming. His new form was a massive eight-headed snake. Makoto jumped towards Toya's side as the two of them prepared themselves for combat.

"I'm not sure if punching a giant snake is such a good idea… especially if it has multiple heads..."

"Don't worry. You don't have to hit it. Just keep your distance and use your Persona, alright?" Toya smirked while looking at the massive beast, gripping his blade tighter. "I'll cut right through this thing!" Toya yelled out, as he ripped off his mask. His Persona was summoned right behind him and casted a spell, one that lowered Ooe's defense. Makoto jumped back and took off her mask, waiting for the right moment as Toya jumped in. One of the snake heads reeled back and began charging in towards Toya… but as it did, Toya felt the rebellious spirit inside of him burning intensely. As the snake head was closing in, Toya raised his blade into the air, waiting for the perfect moment… before slashing straight down, countering the attack. The slash was powerful enough to cut straight through the head… but even with that head gone, there were 7 remaining. Losing on head only made Ooe angry… and as a result, every head began to reel back.

"Anat!" Makoto yelled out while snapping her fingers. As she did, a massive blast of nuclear energy engulfed all of the heads at once. The attack completely caught Ooe off guard, and as a result, he was stunned for a brief moment.

"No mercy!" Toya yelled out as he rushed forward, with Makoto rushing in as well. The two dashed back and forth around Ooe, relentlessly striking him at every chance they got. By the time they were done… Ooe had reverted back into his original form, visibly hurt after Toya and Makoto's assault. On the ground in front of him was a letter of introduction, which Toya picked up.

"Please keep the truth of that subway accident a secret…" Ooe practically begged. Toya and Makoto simply rolled their eyes, before turning away and walking out of the restaurant.

"So… our principal got killed by _Shido_? What crimes is he _not_ connected to!? If we hadn't gone through what we did with Ishida… I'd be accusing him for what happened to my brother at this rate!"

"About that… if Shido has even a faction of the power I suspect… I wouldn't be surprised if the SIU Director was under his thumb the entire time. Not to mention, Ken died to a mental shutdown, and Shido's methods…"

"...Were mental shutdowns." Toya stopped in place for a moment. He clenched his fist tightly… and for a brief moment, there was a purple flame visible on his fate, one with an extremely menacing glow. "That bastard…"

"T-Toya…? Are you okay…?"

"I'm fine. Just… frustrated." Toya took a deep breath, before continuing onward. Still… Makoto knew what she saw. That purple flame… it was distinct. Whenever that was present… Toya's other Persona was present. But… she was under the impression that Toya had conquered Mephisto already… now she was rethinking that. The fact that she knew so little… it kind of scared her, in a way. But even with that, she had to press on. She'd keep a close eye on Toya… but she trusted him with her life. There was no way he would do anything _too_ reckless… or at least, she hoped as much. She followed him back to the safe room where they all met to discuss their targets. They would wait there until everyone else got there, and then they'd discuss how to find the last letter from the Cleaner.

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Side Deck)**

While Toya and Makoto were off getting a letter of introduction from Ooe, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were also splitting up to search for the other special guests. Akira, Morgana, and Futaba all ended up on the side deck together, on a search for an IT president. Out of everywhere he could be on the ship… the most likely answer for an IT president was probably his room. At the very least, that's what Futaba thought, so Akira and Morgana trusted her judgement. The trio quickly climbed up the outside of the ship and found the room that the IT president was staying in, standing outside of it and looking towards each other.

"This has gotta be the cabin! He's in there for sure!" Morgana said, preparing himself to go in.

"I'm gonna go!" Futaba said, immediately catching the attention of both Akira and Morgana.

"Wait, by yourself? Are you sure that's a good idea…?" Akira asked, concerned for what would actually happen to Futaba if she was left on her own.

"He'll be on guard if we all go together… Plus, it's IT stuff! This is my time to shine!"

"Joker, do you think this is such a good idea…? Should we really just leave this to her?" Morgana looked towards Akira, showing the same concerned tone.

"I'm a bit worried, but… I trust Oracle. And besides, we'll see if something goes wrong, and if that happens… well, we're right here to help."

"It's been left to me! It's like that show where the kid goes shopping alone for the first time. Hehe, this is gonna be tough."

"Well, if you're able to joke around about it like that… go on ahead. We'll be right here if something goes wrong." Akira looked towards Futaba and encouraged her, as she slowly walked forward. "Hey, Mona?" Akira looked towards Morgana and slowly kneeled down, whispering. "How much did I miss…? When did she gain enough courage to actually go in by herself!?"

"I-I don't know either!" Morgana was just as shocked as Akira, but they couldn't focus on how surprised they were. The two of them looked into the room, and watched Futaba as she approached the IT president, along with two women that were with him.

"What the!? Who're you!?"

"P-P-Pardon my entrance sudden!"

"Those clothes… I-I mean, why did you come in from the window!?"

"W-Well the door's locked and you weren't answering! How else am I supposed to get in here? Oh, but I get how you feel! There's totes nothing better than relaxing in your own room!"

"A-A girl…?"

"You're an IT guy, right? I can tell we talk the same language!" Futaba's excitement was… actually kind of convincing, to both Akira and Morgana's surprise. She sat down on a chair and put her laptop on a table, beginning to type away on it.

"Th-That's not what matters here. Just who are… Hmmm!? Is that your laptop?"

"Hehehe… This little guy caught your attention, huh? I made it myself!"

"This is amazing… To think you could do this much on a mobile device…" The IT president began to get into a more in-depth conversation with Futaba for a while, with the topic of Medjed being brought up. The IT president even confirmed that he was the one who set up the fake Medjed attack.

"So, why'd you send Medjed after the Phantom Thieves?"

"There was no reason to choose Medjed per se. Their popularity was convenient for us though. We knew the Phantom Thieves couldn't target an anonymous group, after all."

"That's why…?"

"Medjed's defeat was supposed to be an act… so their actual fall was quite a shock to me and Akechi. We were planning on shutting it down anyway though, so it really didn't conflict with our plans. The Phantom Thieves must have enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, not knowing it would be so short-lived. You see, you gotta abuse a tool like the internet. Well, the word abuse doesn't really describe it. The real charm comes in making use of the internet in innovative ways that circumvent legal restrictions."

"You little…"

"I'm sure you understand. You're Medjed, after all. Isn't it wonderful manipulating all those information-illiterate idiots!?"

"...What a third-rate fool."

"...Hm?"

"Not only are your skills third-rate, but you stink worse than a third-rate person. Don't treat me like we're equals. I'm gonna reform society!"

"...What a stupid idea. Don't tell me you destroyed my website for this so-called 'societal reform'?"

"That's right! It's because I'm a member of the Phantom Thieves!"

"What!?"

"Picking on the weak and calling that innovative… Looks like I just gotta ban the guy at the root of all this… Shido! Now, you're gonna give me that letter of introduction!"

"Why would I?" The IT president gave Futaba a menacing glare… one that Akira and Morgana both noticed. Not giving the IT president a chance to do something bad to Futaba,the two of them quickly charged in, staring him down.

"Well, now that we know he has one, this should be the easiest way to get it!" Futaba got up and stood behind Akira and Morgana, while the IT president sank into the ground and transformed. He was a massive fairy who held a sword and was wearing red… and beside him, the two women who were in the room with him had also transformed into fairies, wearing green instead of red. "Three of them… Joker, take down the green ones first! They're not the ones with the letter, so they're probably easier to take down!"

"Got it!" Akira responded while taking out his gun. As he was taking aim, he noticed that one of the fairies was charging up an attack… he quickly jumped back upon noticing this, but he still took a bit of damage from a nuclear blast.

"Joker! Support's on the way!" Futaba called out while ascending into her Persona, casting a healing spell to keep Akira on his feet. He gave a determined look towards the fairy who cast the spell and jumped to his side, taking aim once more and firing at the fairy's wings. With two precise shots, his bullets ripped right through the wings, causing her to fall straight down to the ground. The IT president grunted and held his blade in front of his face, as suddenly, another fairy was summoned.

"He can summoned more…!? Mona, we need to take them all down at once!"

"Leave that to me!" Morgana called back to Akira before standing still and summoning his Persona. "I'll show you the new skill I thought up on my own!" Morgana gloated proudly, before conjuring a gust of wind… however, the wind wasn't aimed at the fairies. Instead, the wind was aimed at his feet, forming a small cyclone that got progressively bigger, causing him to rise into the air. He held his blade out at his side and smirked, staring down the fairies. "Morganaaaa… TOOOORNADOOOOO!" Morgana yelled out as he started spinning around with the cyclone that was carrying him in the air, as it quickly moved towards the fairies. The spinning eventually got faster and faster, to the point where it was completely lethal. As he reached the fairies, he cut through all of them over and over, without them being able to do anything in response. In just a matter of seconds, he cut their wings to shreds, before jumping back and landing on the ground, posing as he looked at what he did to the fairies. Within a few more moments, the IT president reverted to his original form, with a letter of introduction being left on the ground. "I'll be taking this!" Morgana walked forward and picked the letter up, looking back at Akira and Futaba. "How'd you like my new special move? I came up with it all by myself!"

"What? No you didn't! You totally got that from Toya doing it against Akechi." Futaba responded, tilting her head while looking at Morgana.

"N-No I didn't! He didn't spin around when he did it!" Akira looked at them both with a horribly confused look.

"Seriously, how much did I miss!? I was only gone for like, four or five days!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope they put the Morgana Tornado in P5R. I really doubt it, but I really hope so.


	68. Cruiser of Pride (3 of 4)

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Central Passage)**

After collecting a letter of recommendation, Akira, along with Morgana and Futaba went on his way back to the safe room that he and his entire group planned to meet up in.

"_I feel so… weak, compared to everyone else._" Akira thought to himself, while looking straight ahead and not speaking to anyone. "_Things were always at least even between me and everyone else in terms of strength. Sometimes one of us would get a bit stronger than the others, but it was never anything… monumental. But… I feel so far behind now. Morgana has gotten so much stronger… and I can only imagine that this is also true for everyone else._" Akira's facial expression changed. The fact that he was weaker than everyone else from missing out on combat made him feel a bit disheartened, but… he had to remain strong. After all… this Palace was personal for him. He had to find a way to catch up to everyone else. He was their leader, after all… it would be weird if he was the weakest. He knew very well that him being a bit weaker now than before compared to everyone else didn't really bother the rest of his group, but… it felt a bit weird for him. He'd find a way to prove his strength… to himself, more than anyone else.

After a bit more thought, he found himself outside of the safe room with Morgana and Futaba. He opened the door to find that everyone else was already there, waiting for them to return with letters of recommendation in their hands.

"Yo. You guys get your letter?" Ryuji asked, turning his head towards the trio.

"Piece of cake!" Morgana exclaimed, jumping on to the table as Akira held the letter out.

"All of you got yours as well. That just leaves one, right?" Akira walked forward, putting his hands in his pockets and looking towards everyone else.

"The only one we have yet to retrieve is the one from 'The Cleaner'. Did anyone pick up any clues about who that may be while they were collecting their letters?" Makoto asked, eyeing around the room. Everyone was silent… nobody had a single lead on him.

"We've been all over the ship, haven't we? I don't know where else there is to look…" Ann sighed, looking down.

"Oracle, you can't find anything on him either, can you?" Yusuke asked, trying to figure out anything he possibly could.

"Nothing. Wherever he is… none of us have been there yet. But we've been _everywhere_…" She responded, feeling completely clueless.

"Are you sure there's nowhere we missed? Maybe there's a room none of us got the chance to go in. It's a large ship, after all. There's no way we could have been _everywhere_ already, right?" Haru wondered if it was actually possible for them to have been everywhere already.

"Well, there is _one_ place we haven't gone." Toya spoke up, catching the attention of everyone else. "If he's really some kind of a Cleaner… he's somewhere _in_ the ship, for sure. And… I can't think of anyone else that would spend their time inside of an engine room of sorts. I mean, he has to be called 'The Cleaner' for a reason, right?"

"I mean… it's the best lead we've got. Anyone have an idea of how we get to the engine room?" Ryuji was willing to give the idea a shot, but… he didn't know how to actually do it yet.

"Come to think of it… while me, Joker, and Oracle were all on the side deck, there was a lot of smoke coming from one place in particular… do you think that could be it?"

"Well… there definitely would be a lot of smoke coming from the engine room with a ship this big. Are we all settled on this then?" Makoto slowly got up, along with everyone else in the room.

"Come on. Let's go check this out." Akira said, as he began to walk out of the room, with everyone following him… except for a moment, Makoto didn't move. Haru took notice to this and stopped in the room as everyone else left, and walked towards her.

"...Queen? Is everything alright?"

"...You know about the purple flame, right? That purple flame that's always around Hazard whenever Mephisto comes out?"

"Of course. Why bring that up now? I was under the impression that Toya was able to get rid of that Persona, or something… he shot at it, didn't he?"

"I was under the same impression. But… earlier, while we were out getting our letter… the topic of his brother's death came up again. We came to the realization that… Shido probably controlled Ishida. As a result, Shido was also partly responsible for Ken's death. When he heard this… that purple flame came back, I saw that purple flame again, just for a brief moment."

"Y-You saw it again!? So… it's still not gone…!?"

"I don't think so… I think it's still in there somewhere. But… I don't want to bring it up to him. It's… a sensitive topic for him."

"We shouldn't hide it from everyone else though. We should inform them of this once we're back in the real world, don't you think?"

"You're probably right… thanks for talking to me, Noir."

"Hey! What's the hold up!?" Makoto and Haru could hear Morgana's voice from afar, calling out to the two of them.

"S-Sorry! We're on our way!" Makoto called out to Morgana, as she ran out of the safe room with Haru behind her.

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Diet Building**

"Sir, the target refuses to comply."

"Damn brat... what about the drug? How's _that_ coming along?"

"It won't be ready until later tonight, sir."

"Damn it!" Shido grit his teeth and clenched his fist tightly. "Get him to fess up! I don't care how badly you have to rough him up, just make sure he's still breathing!"

"Understood, sir!"

"And if you can't get him to tell us the truth… then bring me down there. I'll get the information out of him myself."

"Y-Yourself? But sir-"

"Do I pay you to question me?"

"...No, sir. I'll report back to you and let you know if we're unable to gain intel."

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Engine Room)**

"I can see him." Akira whispered, as he looked through the vent. He looked behind him and say everyone else nodding, before turning back and taking a hold of the vent door. "Let's clean this mess up." He said, before pushing the vent door down, jumping to the ground with everyone else following behind him. They all turned to the large man in the room… the supposed "Cleaner".

"The hell…? A bunch of masked punks, all here together… is the hit on me really that big?" The Cleaner grunted, before taking his shirt off and throwing it to the ground, then leaning forward. "What clan are you from?"

"...Clan? Does he mean like, yakuza clan?" There was a fear present in Ryuji's voice- one that most people there hadn't heard before.

"Wait, does he 'clean up' problems by making people disappear?"

"Crap…! Is he really yakuza?"

"It seems that bastard Shido has close ties to the underground…" Futaba and Ann were both worried as well about the fact that there was a yakuza clan member in front of them, but… Yusuke seemed more angry than anything, much to Toya's surprise.

"How are we supposed to get the letter of introduction from him? Do we have to prove our worth?" Makoto asked, trying to keep some kind of a level head and trying to find a proper solution to the matter at hand.

"Hey!" The Cleaner shouted, catching everyone's attention instantly. "I'm a busy man. I gotta deal with cleanin' up problems and all them mental shutdowns, after all. If you got business with me, just spit it out already."

"Give me a letter…" Akira said, holding his ground. He was the only one showing any real backbone towards the man.

"A letter of introduction? Why the hell would I give you one?"

"As I expected…" Makoto sighed. She knew very well that this wouldn't be an easy task.

"Ummm… Actually, we're here to suggest a tattoo design for you." Ann spoke nervously, as everyone's head turned towards her.

"A tattoo?" The Cleaner showed some interest in this, to… literally everyone's surprise.

"Th-This guy is great at drawing… H-He's an artist!" Ann said, pointing towards Yusuke.

"What is the meaning of this!? I have no intention of designing a simple tattoo!"

"Forget what she just said. It doesn't matter." Toya spoke, slowly walking in front of everyone. "I get it. You're a busy guy. We're busy too, so let's stop beating around the bush and just get to the point of it already." Toya glared at the man, as his blade materialized in his hands.

"Dude! What the hell are you doing!?" Ryuji asked, frustrated at the fact that Toya's acting out on his own.

"Are you guys forgetting the fact that he literally ISN'T real? This is just some cognition of a tough guy made up by Shido's mind. Hell, the demonic transformation Kamoshida went through was scarier than this asshole!" Toya spoke towards everyone while looking back at them, before turning his head to the Cleaner once more. "Listen. If you're busy, give us the letter and be done with it."

"Or what? You'll stab me with that sword of yours? Please. Guys like you are all ta-" His speech was cut off as Toya pointed his blade forward, aiming at the man's shoulder and pulling on the trigger, piercing his skin.

"You done rambling yet?" The Cleaner held on to his shoulder and grit his teeth, staring angrily at Toya. But just then, his eyes averted to Akira, who was walking forward and standing next to Toya. He took his gun out and pointed it at the man, surprising Toya, along with all of the Phantom Thieves.

"Joker, you too!? Are you two out of your minds!?" Morgana yelled, reeling back in shock.

"Hazard is right. We're in a hurry, aren't we?" Akira rested his finger on the trigger and aimed at the Cleaner, having a dead serious look on his face. But… to their surprise, the Cleaner began to laugh.

"I like you two. You got balls. I respect that." He continued to laugh, as everyone other than Toya and Akira took a step back. "Tell you what. You want a letter? Let's make a deal. Come back with me and talk to the rest of my clan, and if they like you, I'll give you-" He was cut off once more by Toya shooting him, this time in the other shoulder.

"I told you we're in a hurry. Stop wasting our time and give us the damn letter already."

"You cocky-ass bastards! I'm gonna destroy you!" The Cleaner yelled, scaring everyone else.

"If you guys are afraid, then stay back! I'll take him down on my own if I need to!"

"I'm fighting too!" Akira held his ground next to Toya, as everyone else took a step back.

"Joker…" Toya closed his eyes and smirked, before gripping his blade tighter and opening his eyes again, staring the Cleaner down. "This asshole's going down!"

"**I'll rip you open and tear your insides out!" **He yelled once more, before sinking into the ground and transforming. He turned into a massive black demon with a large dual-sided scythe and red eyes… and it was intimidating. Regardless of that, Toya and Akira were still confident in their ability to fight. Immediately as the fight began, the Cleaner spun his scythe around, before planting it onto the ground and casting a blast of dark magic.

"Arsene!"

"Diabolos!" They called out to their respective Personas, and were able to resist the attack as it came to them. "You alright, Joker?"

"I'm fine. Let's go!"

"Right!" Toya responded and rushed in first, spinning his blade around in his hand and jumping into the air, raising his sword above him and slashing it down in the Cleaner's direction.

"Orpheus-Picaro!" Akira yelled out while calling one of his Personas, conjuring a blast of fire and attacking at the Cleaner's feet. It went right past Toya and made direct contact with the Cleaner, causing him to lose his balance. Akira then snapped his fingers, boosting Toya's attack and causing him to push even harder against the Cleaner, which allowed Toya to push against his scythe hard enough to create an opening.

"Open fire, Diabolos!" He ripped off his mask and landed on the ground as the Cleaner completely lost his balance, summoning his Persona and sending one massive bullet into the Cleaner. He jumped back as the Cleaner fell to his knees. He wasn't finished, but… he was definitely weakened now. "Ready to finish this?"

"Yeah. Let's do this!" Akira yelled out and held onto his mask once more, grinning before ripping it off. "Izanagi-Picaro!" He summoned his third Persona behind him, and fired off a massive blast of lightning that was aimed right at the Cleaner, stunning him in place. He then swapped his Persona to Orpheus-Picaro and fired off a blast of fire, but… the Cleaner was starting to recover. "That's not gonna reach him before he can dodge it!"

"I'll handle it!" Toya yelled out while taking aim with his hookshot, shooting it right into the ceiling just above the Cleaner and zipping towards it. As he began moving through the air, he saw the fire as it was about to pass him… and then, he got an idea. He quickly held his sword out right into the path of the fire, and while passing by it, the sword caught on to the flames, igniting it for just long enough for one attack. He yanked his hookshot out of the ceiling and aimed it at the ground behind the Cleaner and fired, zipping right towards it with his sword held out. As he passed by… his blade cut straight through the Cleaner, causing a massive explosion of black and red liquids to appear coming out of him, before he reverted back into his original form. He coughed and grunted for a moment, before slowly picking himself up, staring at Akira and Toya as he got back to his side.

"You had enough yet?" Toya said while standing next to Akira, still having his blade out.

"Haha, you punks're tough! I like that! You've got some backbone. All right, I'll give you my letter. Normally I'd have to 'clean' you guys up for messin' around on the ship, but.. There's no point now."

"What, you're just gonna bail?" Akira asked, confused by what the Cleaner was saying.

"This place ain't gonna last much longer if powerful soldiers like you guys got in here. Time for me to jet. The captain was great n' all, but he's gonna have to go down with this ship alone. See ya later, kiddos." The man gave the letter of recommendation and began walking away from them.

"That was an unexpected response for a cognitive creation…" Yusuke said, genuinely surprised by the turn of events.

"Politicians never get too close to their shady connections. They must have only been linked monetarily." Haru replied.

"Well, no matter how long they were working together, what matters is that we got the letter. Let's get back to the main assembly hall and get to the Treasure." Toya said, as everyone began running out of the room. However… as they got back into the engine room, they heard something. The sound of footsteps… slowly coming closer and closer to them. They held their ground and prepared themselves, but… no matter what they did, they couldn't have been ready for what they were about to experience. A cognitive Goro Akechi slowly walked towards them, staring blankly at everyone. "Is that…!?"

"Shido's cognitive version of Akechi…!" Morgana was shocked to see it, as everyone took a step back. The cognitive Akechi laughed, and then pulled out a gun, aiming at everyone.

"Captain Shido's orders… He has no need for thieves. He planned on finding a different way to get rid of you all… this just moves the plan up a little. You wouldn't have lasted long after the election anyway."

"Even Akechi's cognitive self… is just a puppet for Shido…!?" Makoto was almost terrified. To think that Shido could think so little of his own son… it terrified her.

"That's right. I'll do anything. But look at yourself… you're the true puppets. Enslaving yourselves to the society who loves your opposition… it's sad, isn't it? You've been nothing more than puppets from the very beginning. Used only for the amusement of the masses, and then forgotten about."

"You little…!" Ryuji began to step forward, but as he did, Akira held his arm out, and began to walk forward himself.

"All of you… stay back. This is my fight now."

"Are you insane!? You really plan on fighting that freak alone!?" Futaba was shocked beyond words- almost everyone was.

"Let him do it. He never got a chance to get payback on Akechi for what he did to him… it's only fair that we give him this chance now." Toya said, looking towards Akira. "He's just cognition. Don't get too crazy, but… don't hold back either, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear." Akira walked forward as he pulled his gun out, aiming it at Akechi.

"Just like a true puppet… throwing your life away for the entertainment of others. Very well." Akechi aimed his gun directly at Akira. Part of Akira was nervous, but… at the same time, he was confident. He was more determined than he had been in a long time… this fight was everything.


	69. Cruiser of Pride (4 of 4)

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**After School - Shido's Palace (Engine Room)**

With their fingers on the trigger and a determined look in their eyes, Akira and Akechi both fired their guns at each other, while simultaneously dodging to their sides to avoid the incoming gunfire. The sound of bullets crashing into bullets filled the room, and the sight of sparks flying throughout the air from every single shot caught the attention of the Phantom Thieves, who had backed away to avoid being collateral damage in the fight. Without either of them having any cover to hide behind, the two of them continued ducking and dodging around the room, avoiding each other's gunfire as best as they could while trying to land a hit, but neither of them were able to. The two of them were both incredibly nimble and as a result, they couldn't land a shot on each other.

_"He's fast..."_ Toya thought to himself, as he watched Akira and Akechi try to land hits on each other. _"__It seems like Shido's cognition of Akechi is much different than the real Akechi. This one is much more calm... but that also might be a facade. There's no telling with him...__"_ Toya crossed his arms and studied the fight closer, and then took a close look at Akira, who was gritting his teeth and moving around faster than Toya had ever seen him move. _"__What are you trying to prove by fighting this alone, Akira...? What aren't you telling everyone?__"_

"Arsene!" Akira yelled out while gripping his mask, as Arsene appeared behind him, hovering above the ground and looking in Akechi's direction. Akira grunted, as a green aura appeared around Akechi, significantly slowing him down. "You're mine!" Akira quickly reloaded his gun and took aim at Akechi once more, as he began to open fire. Without being able to move as fast as he could before, Akechi had to focus on getting out of the way instead of fighting back, and as a result, Akira had free reign to shoot as much as he liked. Akechi tried as hard as he could to avoid everything, but… ultimately, he couldn't avoid everything, and had a bullet rip through his arm. He yelled out in pain, and when he did… for a moment, his facial expression… changed. He looked almost demonic for a second, and everyone took notice of it.

"You bastard…!" Akechi turned towards Akira again, looking angrily at him as he held on to his arm. For a moment, he had shown his true nature… and it was a nature that was absolutely demonic, and in a way, terrifying. But Akira didn't falter, not even for a second. He was determined to win this fight… to prove his own self worth. His teammates might not have thought it was necessary for him to do anything like that, but… he did, and there was nothing that would change his mind. He was already in too deep to back out, after all. This fight was his… and he'd make sure that he came out on top, no matter what it took. "Fine… you want to get crazy with me!?" Akechi put one hand on his face, covering most of it, only revealing his mouth and his two eyes. "I'll give you a sight you'll never forget!" As he spoke, a black flame rose around Akechi, engulfing him and sending a wave of pressure out, pushing everyone back. Akira watched as the cognitive Akechi slowly sank into the ground, laughing to himself all the while, before slowly, something else came from the ground… something that was familiar, yet… at the same time, very different.

"It can't be…!" Akira was in shock as he looked at what was rising from the ground. A massive, muscular figure, that was tinted black with red lines scattered about all over it. It had a red cape, and the letters "RH" written on its chest. Holding a massive, black bow in one of its hands, the cognitive Goro Akechi revealed his true form… a darkened version of his Persona, Robin Hood.

"H-Hold on, what the hell is with that? Mona, you ever seen anything like this!?" Ryuji frantically asked, in a complete state of shock.

"I-I've never seen it before, but… Personas are basically just Shadows that have been tamed, so… I-I guess it's possible…?" Morgana was just as shocked and stumped as Ryuji was. He couldn't come up with a proper response, no matter how hard he tried to.

"But it's different. I doubt the dark aesthetics are just for show. It has to mean _something_…" Toya tilted his head and looked a bit closer. Whatever the deal was with this darkened Robin Hood… it definitely wasn't the same Persona that he fought against.

"_Toya's right. There's no way that this thing has the same weaknesses that Akechi's had. If anything, it's probably inverse… but that would make his weakness light magic, and I can't even do that!_" Akira thought to himself while holding on to his mask. Arsene wouldn't be of much use to him… he has to rely on his other two Personas. He ripped his mask off and summoned Orpheus-Picaro, conjuring a massive blast of fire and casting it straight at Akechi.

"**That won't work on me!" **Akechi yelled out, drawing his bow and firing an arrow straight at the blast of fire. The arrow collided with the fire and created a massive explosion, engulfing the room in a cloud of smoke. "**It's no use! You're nothing compared to me now!"** Akechi yelled out, while drawing his bow once more, taking aim at Akira and firing. Akira attempted to dodge out of the way, but he was unable to fully avoid it, taking a hit and getting sent back, reeling in pain a bit as he planted his feet on the ground.

"_Calm down… I need to think this through. His ranged attacks nullify mine, and it's not like I can just endlessly shoot fire at him until I land a hit, either. I need to find a way in close… and I know just the trick._" Akira smirked to himself while slowly reaching into his pocket, feeling something he had created for situations like this. But he could use it yet… it was his trump card, after all. He had to use this when it would give him the win- so he had to be patient with it.

"**What are you smiling at? You have a trick up your sleeve!?" **

"I've got plenty of tricks. Like this one!" Akira quickly snapped his fingers while holding on to his mask, calling forth a green beam that rose around him, healing his wounds completely. A red aura surrounded him and strengthened him as he took out his gun, beginning to dash around the room and take shots at Akechi.

"**You little…!" **Akechi swirled his bow around his hands, before letting out a powerful blast of dark magic, aimed right at Akira.

"Arsene!" Seeing his opportunity, Akira quickly swapped over to his other Persona and charged straight towards the dark energy. He crossed his arms in front of him and went straight into it- and thanks to Arsene's innate resistances, he was able to get through without taking much damage at all, quickly emerging on the other side of the blast and still rushing in to Akechi.

"H-He willingly tanked that hit!? He's lost his mind!" Futaba cried out, staring at him.

"No, that was actually smart of him. He knew that he could minimize the damage he took from a dark attack if he summoned Arsene when he did… so he took the chance to close the distance between the two of them." Makoto said calmly, before looking to Toya. "You did the same thing to Ishida, didn't you?"

"It was reckless, but… it's a valid strategy if you know that getting in close will guarantee you the win." Toya looked closer at Akira, seeing the determined look in his eyes. "He definitely has _something_ up his sleeve… but what? What's he hiding…?" There was no point in Toya sitting around and thinking about what the answer might be. He was better off just watching the fight for himself and seeing what Akira planned on doing.

"Izanagi-Picaro!" Akira yelled out while ripping his mask off once more, summoning his third Persona and rushing forward. "Cross… SLASH!" He yelled out once more, as he let out a powerful melee attack on Akechi, sending him flying back.

"**You little… GO TO HELL!" **Akechi roared, while twirling around his bow once more as he flew through the air. He casted a powerful spell, creating a white explosion of energy that was concentrated right at Akira's feet. The explosion created a massive cloud of smoke that engulfed the entire room, blinding everyone for a few moments. As the smoke began to clear up… Akechi looked, and he didn't see Akira anywhere. He began laughing to himself… he had won. However, as he was laughing, he felt something… weird. He looked down at his chest, and saw something poking into it… of all things, it was actually a grappling hook. He instinctively looked over towards the rest of the Phantom Thieves, but… they looked just as clueless as he was. Even Toya, who had been using one ever since he first stepped into the Metaverse, had no idea what was going on. Everyone's eyes followed the grappling hook to see where it came from… only to see Akira holding a small, metallic object in his hand, still standing near some of the remaining smoke.

"Wait, when did he make that!?" Ann said, her eyes widening.

"So this was the strategy he had hidden… I see! I would have never thought that he was hiding this!" Haru was excited to see this. She never expected that anyone other than Toya would use a grappling hook of some kind… it was actually kind of refreshing to see someone else do it.

"When the hell did he start copying me!?"

"Y-Yeah! Who would ever blatantly steal ideas like that!?" Morgana said awkwardly, looking away from Toya. Toya could hear the nervousness in Morgana's voice, but… he didn't want to dwell on it for long. He was too interested in how the fight was playing out at this point.

"**Damn you…!" **Akechi grunted while drawing his bow once more, taking aim at Akira and firing. However, Akira was able to dodge out of the way while holding on to the grappling hook, maneuvering around the room while getting dragged closer and closer to Akechi.

"Try to block this! Izanagi-Picaro!" Summoning his Persona once more, he let out a devastating blast of lightning that was aimed right at Akechi. Unable to do anything about a blast of lightning like that, Akechi took the full force of the attack, sending a shock through his body that completely paralyzed him.

"**I'll.. kill…!" **

"Ravage him!" Akira got in closer and using Izanagi-Picaro once more, unleashed a devastating physical attack, sending Akechi flying back once more. He kept his eyes on Akechi, and saw him twirling his bow around once more… he was about to repeat the same thing he did last time Akira did this. But he was prepared this time… he knew exactly what he had to do. He quickly took his knife out and aimed carefully… before throwing it. The knife ripped through the air faster than Akechi could react to, and before he knew it… the knife was lodged into his head. Without a chance to resist or counter at all, Akechi's body fell down to the floor… before completely dissipating, turning into a black mist. The fight was over… and somehow, Akira had emerged victorious.

"Jeez… talk about overkill…" Ryuji walked forward, along with everyone else.

"So what exactly… was that? You said you've never seen anything quite like it, right Mona?" Ann asked, looking down towards Morgana.

"It seems… oddly familiar. I feel like I've heard of a darkened Persona like that before, but…" Morgana held on to his head, slightly grunting in pain. "Ugh, it's no use. I can't remember a single detail."

"Well, whatever it is… it's gone now. I doubt we'll run into something like that any time soon, right?" Akira picked his knife up off of the ground and put it in his pocket, taking a deep breath and looking back towards everyone else. "Come on. Let's go check on Shido's Treasure now that we have all 5 letters."

**November 25th, 20XX (Friday)**

**Evening - Underground Interrogation Room**

While the Phantom Thieves tore through his Palace and found where his treasure was located… Masayoshi Shido was preparing himself to deal with another concern of his. Escorted by two of his guards, he found himself in a secret underground chamber, hidden to the rest of the world. The only people who were allowed down here were the people who were loyal to him… just the way he wanted things.

"How's the progress on the truth serum?" He asked, looking toward a guard that was already in the room.

"We've just now completed it, sir. Awaiting further orders."

"Inject it into him. I'll get the answer out of him myself." Shido commanded, as the officer made his way into the room, with Shido going in behind him. He watched as the guard injected the serum into the person they captured… before the guard slowly backed away. When the guard walked away, all that Shido saw… was Goro Akechi, with a bloody face and bruises all over him. His hair was a complete wreck and his eyes were completely out of focus… he was in horrible shape at this point.

"Sh-Shido…"

"Quiet!" Shido quickly silenced Akechi and clenched his fist, slamming it into Akechi's face. The impact made him fall over to the ground, his cheek hitting the floor. He began to cough out of control, before he felt Shido kick him in his stomach, causing him to start coughing up blood. He felt absolutely horrible… it was torture just being there, with the things that they had been doing to him.

"What… do you want…!?"

"Make this easy on yourself, brat…" Shido grabbed Akechi by his hair, raising his head up off of the ground and staring right into his eyes. "The identities of the Phantom Thieves. You're the only one here who knows it, damn it! Who are they!?"

"I-I won't…" Akechi was cut off by Shido hitting him in the gut, and throwing him back down to the ground. He was laid out on his back, and as he was, he felt Shido's shoe pressed against his neck, choking him.

"I'll ask you one more time…" Shido slowly leaned in, staring right into Akechi's eyes. "Who. Are. They?" Akechi was struggling to breathe, and on top of that… the effect of the truth serum was beginning to kick in.

"...T-T-Toya… Ka… zero…"

"What…!?" Shido's eyes widened at Akechi's response. He slowly backed away, looking towards a wall. "DAMN IT!" He yelled, before glaring angrily at one of his guards. "You! Clear out my schedule for tomorrow!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"And you!" Shido's gaze turned towards the other guard that had escorted him. "Find out where that brat goes to school! I'm going there tomorrow and ending this game myself!"

"Right away, sir!" The guards, along with Shido, began to walk out of the room, leaving Akechi to himself.

"_Toya… I'm sorry…_" Akechi was breathing heavily, and his vision was getting more and more blurry by the second. "_So… sorry…_" With that final thought, Akechi lost his consciousness, passing out on the cold, hard floor of the interrogation room, barely still breathing.


	70. Enemies of State

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Daytime - Shujin Academy**

MAKOTO: Hey…

MAKOTO: Sorry to bother you in class, but do you have a minute to talk?

AKIRA: Sure. What's up?

MAKOTO: Well…

MAKOTO: Something happened yesterday while we were in Shido's Palace.

MAKOTO: To keep a long story short… I saw a side of Toya that was… concerning, to say the least.

AKIRA: A side of him? What do you mean?

MAKOTO: While we were getting our letter of recommendation, we came to the conclusion that Ishida was probably working for Shido.

MAKOTO: Ishida was the old SIU Director whose heart we took way back before we all went to Hawaii.

MAKOTO: ...He's also the one who ordered for Ken's death.

MAKOTO: So in a way, even his brother's death traces back to Shido… and when he realized that, I saw… a dark side of him, just for a moment.

MAKOTO: ...We were all so sure that he conquered that darkness after his fight with Akechi, but… I'm starting to have doubts.

AKIRA: …

AKIRA: You're aware of the fact that Toya has a Palace, right?

MAKOTO: Well yeah, but… I've never figured his keywords out.

AKIRA: Futaba figured them out not too long ago.

MAKOTO: She did!?

AKIRA: Don't tell Toya about this, but…

AKIRA: We were gonna try to find a way into his Palace once we were done with Shido.

AKIRA: We even have the calling card ready. We just need to deal with Shido first.

MAKOTO: If you're going in there, then count me in.

MAKOTO: He can't handle his darkness alone…

AKIRA: Alright. I'll tell you more about the details later.

Akira slowly put his phone in his pocket. He was still unsure of how he was supposed to get into Toya's Palace… it's not like it was an easy task. He just had to hope that Futaba could figure out how to do something about it… if anyone could figure something out about it, she's the one. As he was lost in a train of thought, he heard the sound of the PA going off.

"Toya Kazero, please report to the Principal's Office as soon as possible. I repeat: Toya Kazero, please report to the Principal's Office as soon as possible."

"The Principal's Office…?" Toya softly spoke under his breath as he slowly got up, beginning to walk out of the room. Akira and Ann both watched him as he walked away… and they were incredibly concerned.

RYUJI: You guys hear that!?

YUSUKE: Hear what?

HARU: Toya was just called to the Principal's Office out of nowhere.

FUTABA: Wait, seriously? Wait, doesn't that seem… bad…?

MAKOTO: It definitely is. He never mentioned anything that would cause him to get called down to the Principal's Office…

ANN: He definitely didn't look like he planned on going there. I'm worried…

While the Phantom Thieves were worrying about what was going to happen to him, Toya slowly walked down the hallway and made his way to the Principal's Office. Once he got there, he saw two people wearing suits and sunglasses waiting for him.

"Toya Kazero. We have someone who is expecting you." One of the men said, as he began walking towards Toya. "Please come with us. He does not wish to be kept waiting."

"Who wants to see me?"

"You'll understand soon. Let's not waste any time." The men escorted him out, practically shoving him towards the school exit.

"_Okay, what the hell is going on here? What do these guys want with me!?_" Toya thought to himself, as he was on his way out of the school. "_These guys couldn't just waltz on in here without having some kind of power, so whoever ants to see me must be important…_" Toya's eyes widened in shock as he came to a realization. "_No, there's no way! There's absolutely no way in hell that this is what I think it is!_" Regardless of what was going on through his head, Toya was forced outside and had to make his way towards a limousine. One of the men escorting him made his way towards the driver's seat, as the other one opened the door for him, allowing him to get inside. He slowly got in, with the other man getting in just after him.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, you know… I was rather interested to see what you were really like." Toya could recognize a voice like this anywhere. The deep, menacing tone… there was no mistaking it. He looked towards the front seat… only to see Masayoshi Shido himself, sitting in the seat and looking back towards him.

"Masayoshi Shido… I'm surprised. Why exactly did you need to see me?"

"Getting right to the point, are you? Well, that's fine. I wanted to ask you about something in person." Shido glared at Toya condescendingly. "I'd like you to tell me… all about your work as one of the Phantom Thieves." Toya's eyes widened as he heard Shido's mocking tone. However, that wasn't even the worst part… it got a lot worse when Toya felt something pressed against his head. He panned his eyes over to the side, only to see that the guard that was next to him had pulled out a gun, and had pressed it right against his head.

"Whoa, hang on a second! You think _I'm_ a Phantom Thief? That's absurd!"

"Absurd? Oh, I don't think the proof that we've been presented with is deniable in the slightest. I'm sure you'll agree with us."

"_Okay, wait one damn second! Something isn't adding up here!_" Toya started to think, while still staring at Shido. "_A big name politician like him who gets everyone else to do things for him… he would never come out here himself! That is… unless he was absolutely sure that he was right. But… how could that be possible!? There's no way he could know for sure! Unless…_"

* * *

_Akechi: "You recall the man you saw in my Palace, yes? The bald one in the suit."_

_Akechi: "His name is Masayoshi Shido."_

_Akechi: "I'm messaging you to warn you that you may now be a target of his."_

_Akechi: "...He's my father."_

* * *

"_...No, that's impossible. Even if this is Akechi's father… he wouldn't just rat me out like that. And if he did… he would have also exposed the rest of us. What am I missing here…?"_

"You seem to be thinking quite hard about your response. Are you at a loss for words that you've been discovered?

"Sorry, but you've got it all wrong. I mean, look at me! I'm just your average high school student. I have no idea why you assume that _I'm_ a Phantom Thief of all people. However… I'm very interested to learn how you came to this conclusion. I'm sure my viewers are just as curious.

"Your… viewers? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Shido…don't you get it?" Toya quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket, hiding the screen from everyone else in the limo and pointing the camera at Shido. "This entire conversation is being streamed! So please, why don't you tell me about this evidence you have? I'm sure that the public will love hearing all about how their _favorite_ politician came to the conclusion that a high school student is a Phantom Thief!"

"What the- Hey! Don't just sit there, get that damn phone from him!" Shido yelled towards the guard that was in the backseat with Toya, commanding him to stop the stream. But as soon as the man reached for the phone… Toya quickly clenched his fist and slammed it against the man's cheek. The unexpected hit was enough to catch the man off guard, giving Toya the opportunity to take the man's sunglasses grab on to his suit. He pushed the man in between the two front seats, distracting Shido and the other guard. Toya quickly kicked the limo door open and jumped out of it, turning towards the street and beginning to make a run for it. He gripped his phone tightly, opening the Nav app as he was running. While he ran, he heard the sound of the limo beginning to turn. He wouldn't be able to outrun it, but… he had to create as much distance as he possibly could. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his purple bandana, tying it around his head and covering his face with it while putting the sunglasses on.

"_I need to create distance… I can't just go into the Metaverse from here, there's too many people around! I need to get to somewhere empty, that way I don't drag anyone with me…_" Toya thought to himself, as he kept running. He felt his phone vibrate as he ran, but he couldn't check his messages. He had to keep moving… he had to focus on getting away. He heard the sound of the limo getting closer to him, but he was already at the station. He quickly ran down the stairs and got into it, hearing the doors of the limo open as he started descending.

"Keep chasing him! I can't show up there, it'll cause too much of a scene. Just make sure he doesn't get away, no matter what it takes!"

"Yes, sir!" The man got out of the driver's seat and ran after Toya, getting into the subway station. He saw Toya quickly boarding on to a train, and followed him on, reaching for his gun and pulling it out as he got inside, staring at Toya and pointing straight at him. The various different people in the train let out gasps of shock and concern, while staring at the two of them. "You've gone far enough! Stand down and come quietly!"

"Go to hell!" Toya yelled out, while reaching into his pocket once more… before taking out a golden locket- the same one he got from Akechi's Palace. He gripped it tightly and threw it at the man's eyes, causing him to flinch and take a step back, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Toya charge right towards him. He tried to raise his gun again to shoot, but before he could, Toya had grabbed him by his face and slammed him against the floor. The crowd of civilians were shocked and concerned, with some people standing up and walking towards the scene. Toya quickly hit the guard once more and picked up his gun, before slamming his foot down onto the man's face and raising the gun into the air, shooting towards the sky. "EVERYONE STAY PUT!" Everyone who had stood up quickly got back down, with various people shivering out of pure fear. "Nobody moves, and nobody gets hurt! Got it!?" The people in the room all nodded and looked away, closing their eyes. "AND NO PHONES! I better not see ANY of you calling the cops!"

"_Damn it… how the hell is this happening!?_" Toya thought to himself again, pressing his foot down onto the man's head once more. "_I can't just turn back at this point… I've already committed to this act. I need to get the hell out of this mess!_" As he was thinking, he heard the train doors open once more. Judging by how short the ride was… this couldn't have even made it all the way to Shibuya. If anything, this was still somewhere in Aoyama, but… that might have been a good thing. He stomped down on the man's head once more and rushed out of the train, quickly taking his phone out once more and making a call. "_Come on… pick up, damn it!_"

"Toya?"

"Sae!? Look, I'll explain everything later- I need to ask you something, now!"

"Whoa, slow down! Wait, why does it sound like you're out of breath…?"

"Just… listen, okay!? I need you to tell me if there's anywhere someone could get interrogated where nobody else could find! Something top secret, or whatever!"

"What? Well… I mean, there's one place where-"

"Tell me where it is! I need to get there, now!"

"Wh-Why would you need to go there…!?"

"Look, I'll explain as much as you want later. Just tell me where it is!"

"...It's under the police station. There's a secret trap door in the meeting room where I used to bring you. But seriously, why do you-" Toya hung up the phone as soon as he heard that, before getting into an empty alleyway and opening the Nav app again, entering Mementos from the alley without anyone else around him.

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Lunchtime - Shujin Academy**

SAE: Makoto, what is going on with Toya?

MAKOTO: I don't know for sure either, but…

MAKOTO: Something is definitely wrong.

SAE: Well, can you explain anything?

MAKOTO: Well…

MAKOTO: He got called down to the Principal's Office earlier this morning. None of us really knew why, and it seemed like he was pretty clueless as well, but…

MAKOTO: Then Ryuji saw him outside, getting escorted towards a limo by two men in suits.

SAE: Two men in suits…?

MAKOTO: We're not sure who they are either, to be honest, but…

MAKOTO: Whoever they are, Toya definitely isn't a fan of them.

MAKOTO: Apparently Ryuji saw him break down one of the limo doors and run away.

SAE: What!?

MAKOTO: Have you heard anything from him…?

SAE: Well… he called me a little while ago.

SAE: He asked me if there's a secret interrogation room anywhere, one that nobody could find without knowing it was there.

MAKOTO: That's… a really weird question…

SAE: As soon as I told him where one was, he hung up on me. I tried calling him back, but… the call isn't going through at all.

MAKOTO: That might mean he's in the Metaverse…

MAKOTO: Please, tell me if you hear _anything_ about him…

SAE: I will. Stay safe, alright?

SAE: I'm gonna figure out what's going on here.

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Lunchtime - Police Station**

After finding the secret door and returning to the real world, Toya found himself underground, looking down a narrow hallway. There was only one guard… he was standing in front of a door, and he couldn't see Toya from the way he was facing.

"_If my theory is correct… someone is behind that door. That door is probably locked though… and if anyone has a key, it's him._" Toya quickly went back into the Metaverse, getting close to the door that the guard was in front of. As he expected… it was locked. He got to the other side of the hallway, still somewhat close to the door… and then went back into the real world. The guard was right in front of him, but the guard didn't notice him just yet. Before he could turn his head, Toya clenched his fist and hit him right in the face, knocking him to the ground. The surprise attack caught the guard off guard, and he quickly took out his gun. He aimed at Toya and tried to fire, but when he looked… Toya was gone. While he wasn't looking, Toya had made his way back into the Metaverse, getting far away enough to not drag the guard in with him. He moved to the other side of the room and went back to the real world, and saw the guard standing up again, his entire body trembling in fear. Using the element of surprise once more, Toya quickly tackled the man down to the ground, pushing him down and grabbing a key that was attached to his belt, then getting back to the door. He quickly unlocked the door and kicked it down, before looking to his side at the guard again. He was picking himself up again… Toya had to act fast. He looked inside the room and saw someone there, covered in blood and bruises… and the hair looked all too familiar. Just as Toya thought… it was Akechi. Surely enough, who was in the room slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the door. He couldn't tell who Toya was though… he could only make out the bandana and sunglasses.

"Who…?" Before Akechi could finish speaking, Toya quickly charged towards him, grabbing on to his shoulder again and activating the Nav app once more. Before Akechi knew it… he was suddenly in the Metaverse. "Wh-What…? What's going on?"

"You really can't tell?" Toya let go of Akechi and then, out of the corner of his eye, noticed something. He walked towards an empty syringe on the floor and picked it up. It had the words 'TRUTH SERUM' written on it… Toya understood everything now. "So they drugged you… how sickening. The 'arrest' was nothing more than a cover up so they could do this to you." Toya slowly walked in front of Akechi, taking off the sunglasses and bandana.

"T-Toya…!?"

"By the looks of things… you didn't give up the answer so easily. They had to resort to a truth serum just to get you to say anything… and even still, the only name they got was mine. That's what happened, right?"

"...I'm sorry. I tried not to, but… the drug was…"

"It's okay. This isn't your fault. But… we're in a pretty big mess now. We'll figure out what to do later… for now, let's just get out of here. Can you walk?"

"...I don't even think I can stand."

"That bad, huh…? Alright." Toya slowly walked to Akechi's side, lifting him up and carrying him by his shoulder. "Just try to stay conscious. We're in the Metaverse, so nobody will be able to get to us here, and I don't think we'll run into any Shadows here." Toya slowly started walking with Akechi on his shoulder, getting the two of them out of the door. "This is gonna be a long trip… we won't be able to take a train, or anything of the sort. We're stuck walking… I'll carry you myself, so you don't have to worry too much."

"Where are we going…?"

"Let's try getting to Shibuya first. Everything will make more sense later…"

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Shibuya **

Walking out of his home, Toya handed Akechi a purple bandana- a spare one that he had from when Makoto was wearing one too.

"Wear this. It'll be easier to hide who you are like this."

"Thank you…" Akechi slowly tied the bandana around his head. "So, what now…?"

"Well… we probably need to fill everyone else in on what's happening. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to everyone since school."

"That reminds me… what even happened to you today?"

"Well… some men in suits randomly picked me up from school in the middle of class. They brought me to this limo… and Shido was there. He said he had 'undeniable proof' about how I'm a Phantom Thief. Long story short… I got out as fast as I could… and might have caused a bit of chaos on my way."

"...Define 'chaos'."

"Firing a loaded gun toward the sky while surrounded by people so they'd be too scared to do anything."

"A-Are you insane!?"

"Probably. I didn't really have much of a choice though. It's not like I could ask people to call the cops… they're the ones who were after me. Shido could probably force them to arrest me on the spot- or maybe just shoot me. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't have to."

"I see… you're probably right about what Shido would have done." Akechi sighed, before suddenly, the massive screen that was on a building turned on. "Breaking news…? Hey, we should listen to whatever's going on there." Toya and Akechi stayed silent and stared at the screen.

"We have breaking news about the Phantom Thieves. Earlier today, the police force was successful in identifying two members of the infamous vigilante group: their names are Toya Kazero and Goro Akechi." Toya and Akechi's eyes widened as they heard this. "To top things off, these two caused havoc earlier today in a subway station. Due to this, as well as their status as Phantom Thieves… we are declaring the two of them as Enemies of State. As such, we now have a warrant out for their arrest. If you have any information on these two young vigilantes in hiding, please contact the police force."

"_Enemies of State…!?_" Toya thought to himself, taking a step back.

"_How could this happen…?_" Akechi followed Toya, stepping back along with him. While the news was being displayed, Toya felt his phone vibrating like crazy. He slowly took it out and checked his messages.

RYUJI: You guys saw that!?

AKIRA: Toya and Akechi… publicly outed like that…

ANN: How did this even happen!?

YUSUKE: And how was Akechi involved whatsoever? I thought he was already arrested?

MAKOTO: It must have been a cover up for something else, but… even still, this doesn't make any sense.

FUTABA: Have any of you heard from him?

HARU: Not a word… he's been completely silent.

AKIRA: I tried messaging him earlier, but there was no response.

MAKOTO: My sister heard from him around earlier this morning, but… she has no idea where he could be now.

FUTABA: Should I start hacking into security cameras to look for him?

TOYA: No, you don't have to do that.

RYUJI: The hell!?

YUSUKE: Where have you been?

TOYA: I don't have time to explain over the phone.

TOYA: All of you, get to Mementos as fast as you can. I can't stay out in public for long.

ANN: Are you even okay!? Did they hurt you?

TOYA: I'm fine, but Akechi is still roughed up.

HARU: Akechi…? Wait, he's with you?!

TOYA: Just get to Mementos! People are gonna recognize me if I stay out here for too much longer!

Toya quickly put his closed his messenger and opened the Nav app, making his way back into Mementos with Akechi right behind him.

* * *


	71. Criminal

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

"What do you plan on telling everyone?" Akechi asked, looking towards Toya.

"The truth… or well, most of it, at the very least."

"You plan on leaving out the part where you were on a train, don't you?"

"How can I possibly tell them that? Most of them don't have that great of an opinion on me as is… but if I told them _that_, then I don't think they'd ever see me as an ally."

"I understand that part, but… I still think you should tell them the truth."

"What makes you say that?"

"Look at me, Toya. Look at the position I've been put in as a result of me hiding the truth about me. With everything I've done… I've found myself at the point of no return. There's no redemption for what I've done. Once I committed one crime, and got away with it… I couldn't stop myself from doing it again. And again. And again. Eventually, committing so many crimes and murdering so many people turned my heart psychotic… and for a long time, I forgot who I truly was. I became a shell of my former self… and all of my plans involved ruining the lives of others. You, the Phantom Thieves… even my own father. All because of a grudge."

"Akechi…"

"There's no fixing what I've done wrong, Toya. It's too late for me to be redeemed. But… it's not too late for you. You don't have to live a life of secrets like I did… you can be honest with yourself, and with your allies."

"...You're right. You're absolutely right." Toya closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. "They're gonna be here within just a few minutes. I guess I should get myself ready to tell them the truth…"

"About that… I don't think I can actually bring myself to make eye contact with any of them… especially not Akira. Not after everything I've done."

"Take these and go lay down by the stairs. I'll tell them you're sleeping. Toya handed Akechi the sunglasses he stole from the man, which he quickly put on. "Just wait and stay as still as you can. They won't be able to tell a thing."

"Got it." Akechi turned around and slowly walked over to the staircase that led down into the subway station. He still felt really weak overall, and he was in bad shape… but he was doing much better now than he was before. He didn't feel like he would be killed any second anymore, which was more than enough of a plus for him. He still felt uneasy though… and he felt guilty still, for everything that happened. Between his acts as the Black Mask, and giving up Toya's name… he didn't feel like he deserved Toya's help in the first place. But regardless of that… Toya was there, helping Akechi every step of the way, for some reason. Akechi tried to understand it, but… he simply couldn't do it. He laid down and rested his arms limp at his sides, before hearing the sound of footsteps.

"Wait, Sae? You came too?" Toya asked, while looking towards the entire group. All of the Phantom Thieves were present… but for some reason, Sae was there with them.

"I drove Makoto here. I figured I might as well just come here myself instead of having her explain everything to me later on. Anyways- that's not what's important here. Just what is going on with you!?"

"Well… it started off when those guys randomly picked me up from school. They brought me to a limo… and Shido was there, waiting for me."

"Wait, Shido was _there!?_ As in, he came personally!?" Makoto asked, absolutely shocked.

"Yeah, he did. He was _that_ confident. He told me he wanted to ask me about my 'work as one of the Phantom Thieves'."

"I saw you break out of the limo and make a run for it. I guess that's why." Ryuji asked, trying to take everything in.

"It's not like I could just stay there with him. He wouldn't be there himself unless he was absolutely positive." Toya took a deep breath, then looked towards Sae. "That's why I asked you if there was a hidden interrogation room anywhere."

"That's why…?" Sae paused for a moment, before her eyes widened as she looked back to Akechi's body. "I-Is that where you found Akechi!?"

"All covered in blood and bruises. He looked half dead when I got there"

"So he's the one who gave up your name…" Haru spoke, looking towards Akechi while clenching her fist. Her opinion on Akechi was… shaky, at best. She never truly forgave him for what he did to her father.

"When I got there, I saw something on the floor. It was an empty syringe, with the words 'TRUTH SERUM' written on it."

"Truth serum…? Wait, did they drug him!?" Akira's eyes widened as he took a step back.

"Are truth serums even a real thing…? I thought they just made that stuff up for movies." Ann tilted her head and thought about the legitimacy of the claim.

"Nah, it's legit. It's pretty inconsistent, but I've heard a lot of rumors about government officials trying to perfect it. After everything we saw in Shido's Palace, I wouldn't be surprised if he was looking into it as well."

"Just how much do you find on the internet, Futaba…?" Yusuke asked, giving Futaba a surprised and somewhat concerned look.

"You'd be surprised at how much stuff people leak on the internet!"

"Anyways- the point is that Akechi got drugged and forced into giving up my name." Toya sighed for a moment, taking another look at Akechi, then looking at Haru. "He's screwed up a lot, but… he doesn't deserve the blame for this. There's nothing he could have done about it." Haru's expression softened, and she turned away. She wanted to blame Akechi, but… she knew she couldn't. Even someone like him deserves to be treated fairly.

"There's one more thing I'd like to confirm with you, Toya." Sae's voice became more stern, as she looked Toya dead in the eyes. "It's been stated that someone caused mayhem in the subway station today. This includes firing a loaded gun and assaulting an unarmed civilian. Is this true?"

"Wait, they said I assaulted an unarmed civilian!? That's a complete lie!" Toya yelled out. "The only person I 'assaulted' was one of Shido's men, and that's only because he chased me into the train and pointed a gun at my head!"

"And what about the part about you firing a loaded gun?"

"That…" Toya paused, closing his eyes and looking down. "...I didn't aim it at anyone."

"Y-You actually did it!?"

"I hope you realize how serious of a crime that is." The difference in tone between the two Niijima sisters was more than noticeable. Makoto was confused and genuinely concerned, while Sae was cold, and to the point.

"Look. If I had any other option, I wouldn't have done it. But the fact is that if I didn't do it, people would have called the cops, and honestly; I'd be just as messed up Akechi is now. Then I would have gotten the same drug he did, and one of you would end up in the same position I was in!" Toya tried explaining to everyone, but… they still looked concerned, and even a bit upset. "...I know it sounds bad. I wouldn't have done something like that if I didn't need to. But… things would be really bad if they had captured both me _and_ Akechi. If they had more of that truth serum… who knows what they could've gotten me to say?" Toya looked down to the ground, taking a deep breath. "No matter what I did there, I would have been labeled as a criminal by the end of the day thanks to Shido. I only did it because I _had_ to do it."

"...He's probably right." Akira slowly walked ahead, locking eyes with Toya. "We all might have been done for if they drugged him into giving up our names. He did the right thing." Akira slowly turned around, walking past everyone. "We should head back. We're sending the Calling Card tomorrow, right? We should get all the rest we can."

"Wait, you're already sending it?"

"We'll come get you tomorrow before we go. You're staying here, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Staying in the real world for too long is too risky. Besides, there's no way that Shadows are gonna come up from down there, right? It should be safe."

"What about Akechi? He's gonna stay here with you?"

"...He doesn't have anywhere else to go, I don't think."

"What if he tries attacking you? It wouldn't be the first time…" Makoto asked, looking towards Akechi's body while giving a disapproving look.

"I changed his heart, remember? He's not gonna do anything crazy. Trust me." Toya responded calmly. It was hard for them to do, but… they had to trust that Akechi wouldn't try doing anything funny. They turned around and started to walk away, with one person walking slower, and taking a bit longer than the rest.

"...Are you sure this is a good idea, Toya?"

"Yes, Sae. I am. I know how risky it is, but… I'm still willing to take the risk."

"Taking risks that you don't have to… You're more like your brother than you probably realize."

"...I am?"

"He wouldn't want me to tell you the specifics. But… he was… pretty different a few years ago. He wanted to leave that life behind though, so it would be disrespectful to tell anyone." Sae stood still for a moment, reminiscing about her past before turning away. "...You'll beat Shido, right?"

"Of course. I'm not gonna let him win after trying to do what he did today."

"...You better keep that promise."

"I will." Sae looked back to Toya and smiled, then nodded before walking back towards everyone. Toya sighed and turned away, walking towards Akechi's body. "They're gone. You can get up now." Toya waited for a moment… then heard the subtle sound of a snore coming from Akechi. "You fell asleep…? Give me a break…" Toya closed his eyes, before smirking. "Well, I guess it's fine. You were bound to be exhausted anyways." Toya walked towards the staircase into the subway station, then looked back at Akechi… before walking down the stairs.

"_If he's not gonna be awake to stop me…_" A subtle purple flame appeared on Toya's face as he cracked his knuckles, walking further down into Mementos, and watching as the environment around him changed. "_**I've got some pent up anger that needs to be dealt with.**_" Toya quickly rushed further and further down the depths, with an angry look on his face.

**November 26th, 20XX (Saturday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

AKIRA: Futaba, have you looked into how we'll enter Toya's Palace yet?

FUTABA: I tried, but it's not like I can just hack this app to bring us anywhere.

MAKOTO: I'm getting concerned… Toya would never cause that kind of commotion in public. Even if he says it was necessary… I have some doubts about that.

HARU: I do too. That's something that Toya would never do.

HARU: I'm beginning to think that entering his Palace is an even bigger priority than I originally did.

ANN: Yeah, but how are we gonna do that? It's not like we can be in the real world _and_ in the Metaverse at the same time.

YUSUKE: Perhaps there's a way we aren't thinking of…?

RYUJI: Nah… we should just forget it for now.

RYUJI: We're just stressin' out over something we can't do anything about.

AKIRA: Ryuji's right. We have no logical way of getting there yet.

AKIRA: We should just focus on Shido for now. Maybe we'll think of something later on down the line.

Akira slowly put his phone down and turned his head towards Morgana.

"What do you think? Is there any way for us to get into Toya's Palace? You're the expert, after all."

"I'm stumped. Unless the real world magically fused with the Metaverse, I don't think there's any way for us to be able to get there."

"The real world fusing with the Metaverse… I don't even want to imagine what that would look like."

"Well, it's not like it's going to happen, right? I doubt anyone has _that_ kind of power." Morgana yawned, curling up into a ball and closing his eyes. "You should just go to bed and think about it later."

"...Yeah. You're probably right." Akira closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep, as he thought about everything he heard today. He couldn't really judge Toya for being a 'criminal' due to his reputation… but even still, it was weird to think about teaming up with him now. But… he still had to do it. Toya was a valuable asset to the team, so… losing him would cause more harm than anything. He continued to think about a solution for getting into Toya's Palace, before his mind finally gave out, and he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diabolos  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.  
Counterstrike - 15% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 65)  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.
> 
> Anat  
LV 62
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Freidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Mafreidyne - Heavy Nuclear damage to all foes.  
Flash Bomb - Medium Physical damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Marakukaja - Buff party defense for 3 turns.  
Energy Shower - Cure Confuse/Fear/Despair/Rage/Brainwash of party.  
Counter - 10% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.*  
Dekunda - Negate all debuff effects of party.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 65)  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.
> 
> Orpheus-Picaro  
LV 57
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cadenza - Restore 50% HP of party.  
Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 58)  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.
> 
> Izanagi-Picaro  
LV 58
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cross Slash - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe 2x, high accuracy.  
Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Maziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to all foes.  
Marakukaja - Increase party's Defense for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 59)  
Wild Thunder - Severe Electric damage to all foes.
> 
> Arsene  
LV 59
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Negative Pile - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Abyssal Wings - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Masukunda - Decrease all foes' Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 60)  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Seiten Taisei  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Mazionga - Medium Electric damage to all foes.  
Megaton Raid - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Deathbound - Medium Physical damage to all foes 1x to 2x.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 63)  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Zorro  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Garudyne - Heavy Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Magarule - Medium Wind damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Mediarahan - Fully restore HP of party.  
Masukunda - Debuff agility of all foes for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Magarudyne - Heavy Wind damage to all foes.
> 
> Hecate  
LV 61
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Agidyne - Heavy Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Diarahan - Fully restore HP of 1 ally.  
Matarunda - Debuff attack power of all foes for 3 turns.  
Dekaja - Negate all buff effects of all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.
> 
> Kamu Susano-o  
LV 60
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Bufudyne - Heavy Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Mabufala - Medium Ice damage to all foes.  
Deadly Fury - Severe Physical damage to 1 foe.  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting a physical attack.  
Masukukaja - Buff party agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 62)  
Myriad Slashes - Medium Physical damage to 1 foe 2x to 3x.
> 
> Astarte  
LV 62
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Psiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Mapsio - Medium Psy damage to all foes.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to 1 foe. High Critical Rate.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 64)  
Mapsiodyne - Heavy Psy damage to all foes.


	72. Blooming Villain (1 of 3)

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shibuya**

TOYA: Any updates on the Calling Card?

AKIRA: Shido's about to see it.

TOYA: Wait, how do you know that…?

AKIRA: We're sending this one a bit… differently.

TOYA: Differently…?

TOYA: Well, whatever.

TOYA: I'll wait for you all in his Palace then.

AKIRA: Got it.

"What did he have to say?" Akechi asked Toya from behind, peeking out of the alley they were hiding in, making sure nobody was coming.

"He said that Shido's about to see the Calling Card, but… I'm not really sure what he means by that. Either way, I told him that I'd meet up with him in the Palace. I should start heading out."

"Yeah, good ca-" Akechi suddenly cut himself off as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "H-Hey, what's going on with the screen!?" Toya turned his head towards the massive TV screen that was the side of a building. The screen was filled with static, and then suddenly, the Phantom Thieves logo appeared on it.

"YO, what is UP everybody!?"

"We are the ones who you all know as the Phantom Thieves."

"And all of us are alive and kickin''! But the shitty guys in power? They've been manipulating information to try and hide the truth." Distorted voices came from the screen. As Toya looked around, he could see that this was being broadcasted everywhere… no doubt due to something that Futaba was doing.

"So, before we appropriate our next target... we would like to first borrow your time!"

"The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns- These weren't caused by unknown reasons."

"One man is behind every single instance… simply to satiate his own greed."

"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us. He even manipulated the police for that."

"We only steal the hearts of criminals. But this asshole tried to dump what he did on us. That just shows he doesn't care about those victims at all!"

"The identity of that cowardly man is-" Then suddenly, the screen went out. It seemed as if the police were finally able to respond and take down the broadcast. However, only moments later, the screen once more. "The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things. The Minister of State for Special Missions...Masayoshi Shido!" There was an uproar from everyone that was staring at the screen. The person that they thought was steering the country in a healthy direction was getting directly called out by the Phantom Thieves… they almost couldn't believe it.

"Everything that guy says is a lie! And soon, Shido himself will confess all the crimes that he's committed. Please look forward to it, everyone!"

"We're not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just 'cause of his goddamn ego." The screen panned over to a shot of all the Phantom Thieves standing in line, all wearing their Metaverse attire.

"Before that happens, we will take this country!" Everyone forward, with parts of their faces just barely visible to the camera. All anyone could make out were their eyes… all of various different colors.

"Showing off eye color? What are the chances they did that to try and prove your innocence?"

"I doubt that's gonna work, but… I do appreciate it." Toya clo0sed his eyes and smirked. He felt like everyone actually had his back… it was a nice feeling, to be honest. "I've gotta get going. Make sure nobody sees before you head back to the Metaverse."

"Got it!" Akechi nodded and watched Toya as he quickly made his way through, not drawing attention to himself as he made his way towards the Diet Building. "So insistent on getting things done, no matter what kind of danger you're in… you really are something, Toya." Akechi spoke under his breath, closing his eyes.

"The notice put forth by these so-called Phantom Thieves is absolutely groundless." Akechi heard a voice he could never forget coming from the TV screen. He looked up and saw none other than Masayoshi Shido, staring down condescendingly at everyone. "It is nothing more than a wicked terrorist act, aimed at obstructing the elections. What we need now is a powerful, unyielding leader. I am willing to risk my life to fight them."

_"As if you'd ever do anything to stop them yourself…"_ Akechi thought to himself, angrily staring at the screen. _"All you ever do is use people as puppets and get them to do your dirty work for you. You're probably just going to sit in that damn office of yours and pray."_

"I speak now to those who call themselves Phantom Thieves. Your actions are gravely serious crimes. You are rebelling against the laws of this country and unnecessarily causing alarm among its citizens. I call on you to surrender yourselves at once and apologize to the people of this proud nation. We have already exposed two of your members in Toya Kazero and Goro Akechi. Turn yourselves in peacefully, or the police will find you."

_"Everyone is gonna keep seeing me and Toya as criminals… great. But at the same time, if Shido were to confess his crimes… there's a chance that people would start to believe otherwise. Maybe there's hope..."_ Akechi slowly backed further into the alleyway, taking out his phone and opening the Nav app, bringing himself back to Mementos.

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Front Deck)**

Toya quickly made his way into Shido's Palace, appearing on the front deck and looking at the building before him. He waited a moment longer, until hearing the sound of footsteps from behind him. He turned around and was met with all of the Phantom Thieves, who all had looks of determination in their eyes.

"You know, now that I think about it, isn't hacking every TV station in the country more illegal than anything I did?" Toya asked, looking at Futaba.

"...Yeah, probably." Futaba shrugged it off, having not even thought about the legality of everything she did. "Then again, isn't being a Phantom Thief basically illegal in the first place? As long as nobody finds out that it was me, we should be fine, right?"

"And I'm the one you guys thought of as a crazy mastermind…" Toya looked down and sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "Well, whatever. I assume you're all ready?"

"Yeah. It's time to end this once and for all." Akira said, walking forward with everyone following behind him.

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Central Passage)**

The entire group started running straight for the door to the Main Assembly Hall that they previously opened.

"The time's finally come."

"Yeah." Haru and Makoto said, looking at each other and giving a determined nod.

"Let's do this." Toya walked forward along with everyone else, calling the elevator down. The stakes were higher than ever, but… he was still confident in his ability. He had made it this far with limited help, but now… he had an entire group of people there, willing to fight by his side. In a weird way, he felt… accepted. For a long time, the Phantom Thieves saw him as an enemy- as the enemy. They thought that he was the one behind all of the mental shutdowns- all due to what Madarame said about the Black Mask. But, after some convincing… and more bullets ripping through his skin than he'd like to remember, the Phantom Thieves realized he was an ally as well. Now they were all working together… and their target was the biggest target they could imagine going against. Masayoshi Shido, the cabinet member who seemed like he would win the elections without anyone coming close… was the person who was pulling the strings this entire time. Ordering mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, and being very particular about everyone who died, that way no matter what happened, he could push the agenda that he wanted, and start as much propaganda as he liked, all to make himself look better, and to make the Phantom Thieves seem like the enemy. He even went as far as drugging someone into giving up information… his own son, at that. It was revolting, but… it worked. Toya had to give him credit for that much, but… it wouldn't matter after today. Everything was about to change. All of his crimes were about to come to an end… Toya was sure of that. The elevator came, and everyone quickly got inside, ascending up towards their destination.

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Assembly Hall)**

Getting off the elevator and running forward, the Phantom Thieves found Shido's Shadow, facing away from them.

"Shido!" Ryuji yelled out angrily, staring at the Shadow.

"Where did you lowlives obtain that power…? ...Not that it matters. If you have a complaint, I'm willing to listen."

"Why would you do what you did to Akechi!? He… He was your own son!" Yusuke called out.

"Hmph, I had a feeling it was something like that. He reminded me too much of that woman. I also have an idea as to why he approached me. He was hoping to trap me, was he not? He was sharp, but in the end he was just a kid. I controlled him merely by offering praise. I intended to dispose of him as soon as I became Prime Minister. I could never keep someone with such intimate knowledge of my past alive." Shido smirked, then softly snickered to himself. "What an 'ace' detective. He was standing beside me all this time, yet couldn't see through my plans. Though, his skills proved useful when he gave up the name of one of you."

"How could you…!?"

"You stole my mom's research… and took her life!"

"Everything you've done has been for your own selfish gains! You even killed my father…! I will never forgive you!" Shido simply sighed as he heard Ann, Futaba and Haru yell.

"Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform. I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them."

"The hell makes you think you're so much better than everyone else!?"

"You never would have been able to make it this far without Akechi's help!" Shido heard Ryuji and Ann, but simply dismissed their complaints.

"He only appeared because of the expectations God held for me. Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi was able to properly use his power to begin with. The 'changing of hearts' that you've been doing… was nothing more than provoking the public."

"How selfish! You were unable to win by honest means, so you used foul tricks to ascend the political ladder!"

"A cruel person like you has no right to stand leading the citizens of this country. You're nothing but a criminal who rose above others by climbing a staircase of sin."

"The life of the nation as opposed to those of a few sacrifices… There can be no comparison. The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I am merely granting that for them. That is the social reform that only I, as the one chosen by God, can enact!"

"What a freakshow… I can't believe that a human could ever have thoughts like these."

"A politician who would force a kid murder people that are in his path… There's no way in hell we're just gonna sit here and allow that to happen! 'For this country'!? All you care about is your position in the world! Nobody wants to live like that!" Morgana and Toya took a step forward as they spoke.

"Nobody? Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me? Everyone denies the value of hard work these days. Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… One that others bow to."

"Mighty, my ass! That's just a crooked country made by a crook!"

"We cannot let you do this. You are a disgrace to Japan. Hence, we will take your deranged heart." Ryuji and Yusuke called out, as everyone prepared themselves to fight.

"Hmph. Those who disobey me must be eliminated. However… considering the loss of Akechi, it would be a waste to kill those who are actually capable. I will allow you to choose between life or death one last time. Devote your power to my social reform. I will give you anything you want, be it wealth or status."

"Go to hell." Akira said, glaring at Shido.

"You'll never get us to give up on who we are!" Toya yelled, giving Shido the same angry glare.

"It seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such… I thought you were smarter than that. This is unfortunate… I have no choice but to eliminate you all. A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such lenience. I will not make such incautious mistakes." Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, hundreds of people appeared around the room, applauding Shido and every word he said.

"Since when…!?" Makoto said, looking around at everyone. Then, the entire room started to morph in shape. In a panic, everyone jumped up to a higher level, trying to avoid being trapped. They all ended up together, and saw something terrifying. It was a massive, golden beast… seemingly made out of hundreds of golden statues of people.

"Let me make myself clear. Do not think of me as you did my foolish son who acted to brashly." Shido said, as he slowly mounted the beast.

"You little…!"

"Die… without further delay." Shido's Shadow had suddenly transformed. He was wearing a black army general uniform with a long cape, white gloves, and a spiked helmet.

"Our leader's gone through shit 'cause of you. It's on!" Ryuji yelled, but his voice was overshadowed by a load roar, coming from the golden beast.

"There is no need for thieves in my mighty country… Only myself and the ones who revere me are needed." Shido crossed his arms as he spoke, grinning as he commanded the beast to attack. The beast charged forward, raising one claw into the air and attempting to slam down onto everyone. Everyone quickly jumped back, narrowly escaping the attack. While she was jumping back, Ann quickly raised her whip into the air and attempted to strike the beast, but when she did, the attack was instantly deflected, which sent Ann flying back.

"It reflected it!? Then... how about this!?" Morgana quickly pulled out his hookshot, taking aim at the beast and firing. Just like with Ann's attack, it was reflected straight back. Due to it just being a hit from a slingshot, the reflected attack was mostly ineffective, only bonking Morgana on the head.

"Physical attacks are completely useless… we need to use magic!" Makoto yelled out as she unmasked, casting a blast of nuclear magic. The attack connected, and unlike the other attacks, this one wasn't deflected. Instead, the beast took the direct hit, roaring out in pain as Makoto's nuclear energy made direct contact.

"You're smarter than I gave you credit for… but that won't matter." Shido spread his arms out to his sides, gritting his teeth and forming a magic barrier around him.

"A barrier…!?"

"You might have landed one hit on me… but no more. Accept how futile your attempts are and perish, Phantom Thieves!" Shido yelled, as he began to laugh, feeling unstoppable.

"Don't panic! Things aren't as bad as they seem!" Toya yelled out, looking towards everyone. "Barriers reflect attacks straight back to where they came from. All we have to do is find a way to attack him indirectly, and his barrier will completely fail!"

"Attack indirectly…?" Morgana pondered in thought for a moment, but then his eyes widened. "I got it! Hazard, Queen, you two distract him! Everyone else come with me, I know how we'll get that barrier down!"

"Got it! Anat!" Makoto called out to her Persona, as it transformed into a motorcycle. She quickly mounted on top of it as Toya got on right behind her. She quickly began to drive, maneuvering around the arena as Toya glared at Shido.

"What's wrong, Shido? Are you so scared of us that you have to try and find a way to stop us from even attacking!?"

"What was that…!?"

"Admit it! You can't do any damage to us, so you have to try and defend yourself and stall us out! That's what this is, isn't it?!" Toya taunted him, laughing to himself. "A pathetic fighter in the cognitive world, and a pathetic politician in the real world! How much more of a failure can you be!?"

"Shut your mouth, you miserable insect!" Shido angrily yelled back, commanding his beast to turn towards the two of them and try to attack. But as he did, Makoto sped up, getting away from the attack entirely.

"Now! Kamu Susano-o!" While Shido was distracted, Yusuke summoned his Persona and brought forth a giant block of ice.

"My turn!" Haru quickly pulled out her grenade launcher, taking aim at the ice and firing. The ice shattered into multiple different parts, scattering through the air.

"What the!?" Shido turned his head, looking towards the sound of the explosion. "Damn… I can't see a thing through that smoke!" As he complained, the smoke cleared… but not by a natural cause. The smoke cleared due to a massive gust of wind magic from Morgana, and when it did, Shido saw the shattered pieces of ice all floating in the air, once again due to Morgana's wind magic.

"Try this on for size!" Morgana hurled the ice towards Shido, but he didn't aim directly for him. Instead, he aimed for just above his head. "Do it now, Panther!"

"I'm on it!" Ripping off her mask, Ann summoned her Persona and fired a blast of fire straight at the ice that was above Shido's head. It quickly melted, turning to water and falling down on Shido's head. Since it was just water, it went through Shido's magic, but the attack itself wasn't anything damaging.

"...That's it? Here I was, thinking you had thought of something grand… I shouldn't have expected anything from stupid brats like you."

"Just wait!" Akira yelled out, as he and Ryuji summoned their Personas, with Akira choosing to summon Izanagi-Picaro. "You know where to aim, Skull!"

"Yeah!" Ryuji responded, as the two of them fired off a blast of lightning. They also didn't aim for Shido, and instead, they aimed for the water that was dripping down the beast. Once their lightning connected with the water, it began spreading throughout the water. Shido's barrier kicked in and reflected the lightning, however, the lightning was sent straight back to the water where it came from, so it ultimately didn't reflect anything at all. Instead, it only delayed the inevitable. Just a moment later, Shido felt the full force of the lightning, due to the water that had drenched him. He grit his teeth and grunted in pain as he felt the shock surge through his body.

"We're up!" Makoto yelled out, as she and Toya got off of her Persona.

"You're going down, Shido!" Toya yelled, summoning his own Persona. The two of them both fired a blast of magic straight towards Shido, dealing as much damage as they could before quickly making their way back to the rest of the group.

"You lowlifes! I hope you understand what it means to turn your back on me!"

"Who gives a damn!? We've been against you this entire time, and that's not gonna change anytime soon!" Toya responded, gripping his blade tightly.

"...Then you shall perish! You shall regret these foolish actions against me… in the afterlife!" The beast that Shido was on top of jumped into the air and was surrounded by dark energy, before suddenly sprouting wings, hovering in the air. "I will destroy you!" He yelled, as he spread his arms out once more, and casted two blasts of magic simultaneously. One was fire, and the other was ice, and he aimed them at the two people they would be most effective against: Ann and Yusuke. The attacks landed directly, and they were sent flying back.

"Panther! Fox! Hold on, I'm coming!" Morgana quickly ran over towards the two of them, preparing himself to heal them.

"Astarte!" Haru yelled out, as she summoned her recently evolved Persona. She conjured a devastating psychokinetic attack, but… it barely hurt at all. "It didn't work…!?"

"It must resist magic attacks now… but it probably won't resist physical attacks anymore! That being said… how are we gonna get up to it!? It's flying!" Futaba had no idea how they could possibly stop get to Shido now, but as she was wondering, she saw Toya and Akira running forward, and shooting their hooks out towards Shido.

"That won't work on me!" Shido commanded his beast, as it raised its claws into the air and smacked the hooks out of the air.

"Damn… we need to distract him again! But he won't fall for the same thing again, will he!?" Akira looked towards everyone else, trying to come up with an idea.

"Wait… he said he couldn't see through smoke earlier, right!?" Makoto summoned her Persona once more, gripping her mask tightly. "I have an idea!" She said, as she casted a blast of nuclear energy towards the ground. The blast created yet another cloud of smoke his one being even louder than the last one, and completely covered the entire group.

"You brats… what the hell are you trying to accomplish!?" Shido casted a blast of wind magic, trying to clear the cloud of smoke so he could see everyone. However, once he did, the only two people he saw were Makoto and Haru, and they were both on top of the motorcycle. Once again, Makoto began to drive around the room. Instead of trying to taunt Shido like Toya did, Haru instead took out her grenade launcher once more, and fired straight at Shido. However, when she did, Shido ended up conjuring a bolt of lightning that sniped the grenade out of the air, stopping the attack from ever reaching him in the first place.

"Eat this!" Ann called out from behind, as she began to unload her ammo in Shido's direction. Her aim was inaccurate due to the gun she had, so she couldn't actually land many direct hits, but it was enough to gain Shido's attention. Once she did, Shido turned around to see that she was inside of a black van, shooting out of an open window, with Yusuke driving it.

"You're wide open!" Toya yelled out, as he and Akira both shot their hooks directly at Shido from opposite sides. They both pierced his legs, causing Shido to grunt in pain once more. He looked closer and saw the two of them quickly being dragged towards him.

"You brats… you think you can trick me like that twice!?" Shido yelled, as he commanded the beast once more. The beast raised its claws into the air and swiped down on both Toya and Akira, landing a direct hit onto them.

"Like he said… wide open!" Akira grit his teeth in pain while looking towards the sky. Shido followed Akira's gaze, only to see Futaba's Persona hovering in the air. However, what concerned him wasn't the Persona itself… but the person who was standing on top of it. Before he could react, Ryuji jumped off of the Persona and went straight towards Shido. Shido tried to cast a spell fast enough to stop Ryuji as he was quickly zipping through the air, but he was too slow. Ryuji reeled his weapon back and smashed it directly against Shido's head, inflicting massive damage.

"Hit 'em again, Seiten Tensei!" Ryuji yelled as he was descending back to the ground, ripping his mask off to summon his Persona. He used his Persona to attack Shido with another devastating physical attack, before finally landing on the ground. The attack was enough to cause Shido to fall off of the beast, and land on the ground. Once he was off of the beast, it fell down to the ground as well. Without Shido there commanding the beast, it was unable to function, and started to fade away.

"Useless, ignorant masses!" Shido said, as he stood up and crossed his arms, looking at the beast as it faded. He turned towards the group, who were all gathering together after Morgana and Makoto finished healing Akira and Toya respectively. "It seem even thieves should not be taken lightly if they come in great enough numbers…"

"Once you're losin', you're puttin;' all the blame on the masses, huh!?"

"So, you're the one unifying them…" Shido completely dismissed what Ryuji said, and looked towards Akira.

"A touching reunion, isn't it?"

"The next time you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner."

"Not that there'll be a next time for you!" Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba all called Shido out.

"Hm?" Shido processed what they said, and then gave Akiar a closer look, squinting his eyes. "You… You're more than just a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?"

"Remember me?" Akira asked, as he took his mask off, revealing his face.

"This ain't the first time you failed to finish this guy off."

"You took him to court and yet you don't remember…? You truly don't care about the fate of others." Ryuji and Makoto added on to what Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba had already said, as Shido began remembering Akira's face.

"Wait.. Could you be… the one from back then…!?" Shido finally remembered the first time he came into contact with Akira. "That damn brat who showed up and stood against me when I was with that woman!" Akira put his mask on, as Shido began chuckling. "I see… So it truly is you. Haha… What an interesting turn of fate… But your efforts will be worthless in the end."

"Small sacrifices are inescapable for those wishing to be powerful, competent leaders. How would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every ant you crushed on the road?"

"Are you saying that the people you killed deserved to die!?"

"He's totally insane…" Haru and Ann couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"You're gonna compare actual human lives to the lives of ants… what the hell is wrong with you!?" Toya yelled, feeling infuriated.

"I wouldn't expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand. Thus, I will offer proof…" Shido ripped off his upper clothing and headgear, and revealed a harness made of springs covering his muscled body, with a red aura emitting around him. **"By forcefully crushing the Phantom Thieves!"**


	73. Blooming Villain (2 of 3)

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Assembly Hall)**

"**I… shall win this game!" **Shido's crimson red aura raged around him, engulfing his entire body in its menacing glow.

"What is this power!? Careful! Those muscles aren't just for show!" Futaba yelled out to everyone, in awe of the raw power that Shido now had.

"_Something doesn't add up…_" Toya thought to himself, staring at Shido. "_That aura… it's way too powerful for his body. He should look much stronger that that! Unless…_" Toya took a closer look. He eyed the spring harness around Shido's body… and then it clicked. "_He's restraining himself…! He doesn't want to exert his full power! But, even if that's the case… he'll be more than willing to exert his full force if he's backed into a corner. I can't let him do that!_"

"Stay focused! There's a good chance he's still not showing us his true power! If he gets any kind of an advantage like this, we're all dead!" Toya yelled out while gripping his blade tightly. But just as he did, Shido suddenly in, clenching his fist and reeling it back before swinging it at the closest person he could, that being Yusuke. Yusuke quickly jumped back and avoided the direct attack, but… there was a wave of pressure that was sent through the air just from Shido throwing a punch. The pressure ripped through the air and hit Yusuke right in his chest, causing him to fall down on his back.

"What… was that…!?" Yusuke said, trying to pick himself back up. "His fist never connected, so… how did he land a hit…!?"

"He has so much raw strength that he can hurt us by just punching the air…!? How are we gonna fight against that!?" Makoto took a step back, preparing to dodge out of the way of any attack Shido sent her way.

"You're not going to fight against me. You're all going to die by my own two hands!" Shido reeled his fists back and punched forward, sending air pressure flying towards Makoto specifically. She crossed her arms in front of her and defended herself from the attack, but the sheer force of it was still enough to push her back a considerable distance, regardless of the fact that she was able to mitigate some of the damage. Shido laughed to himself before repeating the same motion, except for the fact that he began to aim at everyone else as well. He punched the air over and over again, forcing everyone to be more defensive than ever. The sheer speed didn't even give Haru a chance to put up a physical barrier and defend either herself or someone else from the attack- she just had to stand there and block along with everyone else.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news… but we have a big problem!" Morgana said desperately, trying to block every attack.

"Yeah, we noticed! We're getting completely pummeled over here!"

"That's not the point, Skull! We could sit here and block all day, but that's not the problem here! The problem is the fact that we're running out of ground! We're eventually gonna get pushed into the ocean and drown!" Morgana yelled, trying to get out of the way of the attacks, but to no avail. Shido was too fast for him to get away.

"Damn it…!" Ryuji said, gritting his teeth. But then… he got an idea- a weird one that could potentially work. "Joker… your grappling hook… give it to me…!" He whispered, looking towards Akira.

"What…!? But… why do you need-"

"Just give it to me!" Ryuji and Akira both stared at Shido and watched his attack pattern more closely, then waited for just a moment… before Shido attacked both of them. This was their window- it was a small one, but it existed. Akira quickly reached into his pocket and got his grappling hook out, throwing it towards Ryuji. Ryuji caught it and held on to it tightly, before he completely stopped blocking. Once he wasn't blocking anymore, Shido quickly toko the opportunity he had to send an attack straight towards him- and it made direct contact. Ryuji got hit right in his chest- and it pushed him back far. So far that he was sent off of the entire ship, and before everyone could react, he was falling towards the ocean.

"**SKULL!" **Ann yelled out, looking back towards where Ryuji fell. However… then she saw something. She saw a hook quickly rise through the air, and lodge itself inside of the ship. And as it rose up, Ryuji did as well, ascending into the air with a fierce look in his eye. Without giving any warning whatsoever, Ryuji yanked the hook out of the boat and aimed it at the wall behind Shido before firing once again. He quickly zipped through the air, too fast for Shido to attack him at all. Before Shido knew it, Ryuji was in the air just behind him, and he was grippping his weapon tightly. Without any form of hesitation, he launched himself directly at Shido, holding his weapon above his head and preparing himself to slam it down on Shido's head. However, Shido was smarter than that- he wouldn't fall for such a shallow strategy. As Ryuji was coming down from the air and getting ready to land a direct hit, Shido simply jumped back for a moment, causing Ryuji to miss completely.

"Hmph. Foolish brat!" Shido yelled, getting in close to Ryuji. He quickly raised his fist into the air and got ready to land a direct hit onto Ryuji- no air pressure involved, just a raw attack.

"Now, Astarte!" Now that Shido wasn't relentlessly attacking the group, Haru finally had an opening. She quickly pulled off her mask and summoned her Persona, casting a physical barrier around Ryuji to cover him. Shido was unable to react in time, and as a result, felt the full force of his own attack. It pushed him back a bit, however… it hardly seemed to even hurt him. Or, at the very least, he didn't let it be known that he was feeling any pain. Ryuji jumped back to everyone else, looking at everyone awkwardly as they gave him a nasty look for being so reckless.

"Not bad. But there is no reason for me to lose to thieves!" Shido roared, as a multicolored aura surrounded him.

"He's getting stronger… you guys need to be careful! He's not gonna fall for a trick like that twice!" Futaba said, trying to think of a way to take Shido down. As she was thinking, Shido spread his arms apart and began to laugh, before a massive white explosion was formed at the Phantom Thieves's feet. The explosion created a massive cloud of smoke, engulfing the battlefield.

"Hmph… All too easy. Petty thieves like you all have no place in my presence." Shido said, crossing his arms and smirking. However, as the smoke began to clear… Shido's cocky expression quickly faded, as a massive green barrier was suddenly in his view, one that completely covered up every single one of the Phantom Thieves. "What is this…!?"

"Arsene!" Akira ripped off his mask and summoned his main Persona, and stared at Shido. He waited a moment for Futaba's barrier to fade, before firing off a blast of dark magic directly at Shido. Shido raised his arms up to block the attack, but it still pushed him back.

"Don't let up! Hit him with everything you have!" Toya yelled out, as everyone ripped off their masks, summoning their Personas. They all yelled and unleashed the strongest magic attack that they possibly could, beginning to overwhelm Shido a bit more, but even with that, he did his best to keep his cool, despite the barrage of elemental attacks being thrown at him. Every time he had an opening to move again, he was pelted by another attack, leaving him completely locked down.

"How are those lowlife brats beating me...?"

"Not yet!" Futaba laughed to herself while furiously typing away inside of her Persona. While everyone else was pelting him with with the strongest spells that they could, Futaba prepared her ultimate attack- the attack that could finish the fight within an instant. She raised one hand into the air, before slamming it down onto a big green button. This caused a massive green bomb to come out of her Persona, and it was headed straight for Shido. He tried his absolute hardest to break free, but… he simply couldn't. The bomb exploded directly in front of him, sending him flying back. His body smashed against the wall behind him as he fell down to the ground, falling face first onto the floor. "Okay, now's our chance! Let's take his Treasure!"

"No! We can't just take it yet!" Toya yelled out, while running forward, gripping his mask tightly. "We need to make sure he can't unleash his ultimate power, or we're all done for!"

"Ultimate power…? What are you saying?" Akira asked, as he watched Toya walk forward.

"Don't you get it? The harness is there to suppress him! If we give him a chance, he's just gonna get stronger!" Toya walked closer to Shido, preparing himself.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Makoto yelled out, sending a chill down Toya's spine. "This isn't even remotely like you! What do you gain out of just relentlessly attacking!? We can just take his Treasure and be done with it!"

"You…" Toya slowly turned around, staring straight at Makoto. "Not even _you_ get it…!? You really think we can just walk up and grab his Treasure so easily!? You're smarter than this! Please, think about it for a second! Do you really think he's just gonna let this be easy!?"

"Listen to yourself! Have you even thought about half of the things you've been doing these past couple of days!? You're like a loose cannon!"

"Oh, come on! This isn't the time for you to give me a lesson in morality! Trust me, I get it. I had to do some bad stuff yesterday- and maybe to you, this is just the same thing. But maybe what you don't realize is that this is literally a life or death situation! If he were to start taking us more seriously, then we're all-" Suddenly, Toya heard the sound of springs snapping from behind him. His eyes widened in shock as he quickly turned around, but as soon as he did, he felt a fist hit him right in his gut, nearly piercing his skin. His eyes widened in pain and shock as he slowly looked down, and saw what hit him. It was Shido, but… he was completely different. His skin was all red, and his muscles… they were practically bulging out of him at this point. Toya tried to move, but as soon as he tried, he was met with another punch- this one straight to his face. He was sent flying back, landing on the ground and rolling around, as his body went completely limp, resting face down against the floor.

"**If you had listened to me, or even to him…" **Shido's tone of voice was much more menacing all of a sudden. He smirked, before swiping his hand out in front of him. As he did, a massive wave of pressure was created, sending everyone flying back from the sheer force of it. "**Then you could have maybe survived this encounter."** He swiped his hand out in front of him, creating another wave of pressure that sent everyone flying back once again.

"_Why…?_" Toya thought to himself, as he looked towards the ground. "_None of them trusted me, even still… even Makoto… and now look at the position we're in…!_" Toya's mind was a complete wreck. So many thoughts and emotions went through his head all at once- but the one that affected him the most was the feeling of betrayal. He felt so betrayed… and it made him angry. Suddenly, he noticed that his hand was involuntarily twitching. "_Huh? Why can't I feel my hand twitch…?_" Toya thought for a moment, before noticing something… he couldn't feel _anything_. His entire body was completely numb… and he couldn't even move. "_W-What's… going… on…? I can't… control..._" Even his thoughts were beginning to fade away. It felt like his soul was getting pushed away by something… or maybe even pulled in. He couldn't tell, but… he could still see. And… what he saw frightened him. His body slowly began to stand up, while still facing the ground. He was trying to stop it, but… he couldn't. For some reason, he had absolutely no control over his body.

"**Oh? You can still stand?" **

"**It's gonna take more than that to finish me off…" **Toya's voice was… different, all of a sudden. There was a strong malice in it, one that was stronger than any of the Phantom Thieves had heard before from him.

"**You continue to stand before me. Tell me, why?"**

"**Because I learned something today, Shido. Today I learned a valuable lesson about myself. I learned that, in truth… I'm no hero. I'm nothing of the sort." **A demented and psychotic chuckle could be heard under Toya's breath after every sentence he spoke. "**Feelings, morality… Who gives a shit about that!? I care about **_**my**_ **justice. **_**My**_ **judgement. Everyone else's thoughts can go to hell…. Even if it's some tyrant like you!"**

"**You're quite resilient... for a thief. Not that it's going to matter."**

"**A thief, you say? Oh Shido, perish the thought…"** Toya slowly brought his hand up to his face, covering one of his eyes as a purple flame began to form around him. "**I am **_**MORE **_**than that! I… **_**I'M THE JESTER!**_" In one quick motion, Toya picked his head up and stared directly at Shido, as the barely audible chuckle from earlier had turned into fully fledged laughter. But… else something about him was different now- something else _looked_ different. His eyes… they've changed before, but now… they were completely different. There was no golden outline… instead, his eyes _were_ golden- just like Shido's Shadow. "**You think you can keep me down by bulging out your muscles a bit!? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" **The purple flame that had formed around him began to rage around, burning brightly as he ripped off his mask. And when he did… something that the Phantom Thieves were all too familiar with had revealed itself once more, looming over the ship. With its legs crossed in a condescending pose, hovering in the air with a large purple gun slowly spinning around in front of it… it made its return.

"**Hmph. Very well then, Jester…" **Shido held his arms out in front of him, smirking while staring directly at Toya. "**Come at me!"**

"**You asked for it!" **Toya laughed, while holding on to his face even tighter, still unmasked. "**You don't stand a chance against what I am now…!" **Toya's gunblade materialized in his other hand as he pointed it directly at Shido, giving off a sinister smirk as he stared him down. **"TEAR HIM TO SHREDS, MEPHISTO!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Pandemonium - Automatically applies Call of Chaos on user at start of battle.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Oblivion - Severe Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	74. Blooming Villain (3 of 3)

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Assembly Hall)**

Without wasting even a single second, Toya ran straight at Shido, giving off a devilish smirk while charging in, seemingly without a second thought. This didn't concern Shido in the slightest though. To him, this was just another rodent trying to defy him, so he'd deal with this the same way he was dealing with everyone else. He slightly reeled his fist back, before punching forward, sending a burst of air pressure through the air. However, things were different this time. Toya knew that Shido was going to use the same exact strategy that he had been using- that's how Shido was fighting. He was arrogant and cocky, and didn't respect his opponents. He refused to even fight the Phantom Thieves directly for a long time, which had said more than enough about his method of fighting. He didn't want to waste his time fighting, and as a result, he didn't want to waste effort on thinking of a strategy. He just stuck with what was working… and Toya fully expected that. As soon as Shido had reeled his fist back, Toya raised his gauntlet into the air and fired his hookshot towards the wall, zipping into the air and getting behind Shido. This is exactly what Ryuji had done though… and if it didn't work then, it wouldn't work now- which is exactly why Toya had to improvise. Shido had already turned around and was staring right at Toya, and he was ready to dodge. So instead of pushing himself off of the wall and diving down onto Shido, he instead pushed himself further into the air, then fired his hookshot down to the ground, right behind Shido. Before Shido could react to it, Toya was already on the ground, and was ready to strike. Shido turned around to face Toya, and as soon as he did, Toya raised his blade into the air and slashed down- making direct contact with Shido and cutting through his chest. However, very little damage was actually done to Shido, despite Toya cutting straight through him. Toya quickly jumped back, as Shido glared at him.

"**Hmph. You actually managed to land a hit. It may not have done much, but for what it's worth… you should be proud of yourself for that much."**

"**So you can take some hits, huh…?" **Toya held on to his face for a moment, before softly chuckling to himself. Then, Toya's laughter became maniacal, as his mind descended further and further into madness. "**Oh, how perfect! I was beginning to worry that you would bore me! But here you are… standing before me, regardless of a sword slicing through you!" **Toya raise his blade up, glaring at Shido while giving off a sinister grin. "**This is going to be… so much FUN!" **Putting his finger on the trigger, Toya began to unload his ammunition onto Shido, laughing louder and louder with every single shot.

"**Tch… don't mock me!" **Shido reeled his hand back before swiping in front of him, creating a wave of air pressure in front of him that collided with the bullets that Toya fired off, stopping them in their tracks and causing them to fall to the floor. After deflecting the bullets, Shido jumped up into the air, before putting his two fists forward and diving straight down towards Toya, with an angry grin on his face. He was already getting annoyed… just as Toya expected. Toya quickly dashed forward to evade Shido, as Shido came crashing down.

"**MEPHISTO!"** Toya yelled out as he ripped his mask off, summoning Mephisto and conjuring a devastating blast of dark magic, aimed directly for Shido. However, Shido was strong enough to deal with magic of any kind. He spread his arms out and conjured a blast of light magic to counter Toya's attack. "**So you have magic, too? Well, you're just **_**full**_ **of surprises, aren't you!?"** Toya yelled, before raising his blade into the air once more and aiming at Shido, beginning to shoot at him once more.

"_Just… what's going on…?_" Akira thought to himself, watching the fight from afar. "_It's like Toya is an entirely different person… not only that, but he's way stronger now, and… his method of fighting is different. He's shooting at Shido, but… it's not doing anything. Toya would never continue shooting like this if it didn't accomplish anything… it's like he's just shooting for the sake of it. But why…?_"

"Have you guys seen this Persona of his before?" Akira asked, looking back towards everyone.

"Oh right… this is your first time actually seeing the damn thing, isn't it?" Ryuji responded, while looking on at the fight. "It's the main reason we got beaten so badly back at Okumura's Palace. He was way stronger than us… we didn't stand a chance against it."

"We saw it once more when he fought against Akechi. But… this time is different." Yusuke said, before taking a closer look. "The way he's talking, and fighting… this is more than just a psychotic breakdown of some kind. It's like he's an entirely different person."

"So it's like he's being possessed by it…? But how does that even work? You can't get possessed by your own Persona… can you?" Akira asked, but… nobody had a proper response to it. Not even Morgana, who was the expert on everything Metaverse related.

"_Possessed… by his own Persona…? No, that can't be it. It has to be something different…_" Makoto thought to herself, as she looked at Toya. She couldn't actually see his face due to Shido being in the way of it… which made her feel even more uncomfortable. She did her best to keep calm, but… it was hard to do. She couldn't think about it for much longer though, as her thoughts were cut off by the sound of gunfire. She focused in on the fight and saw Toya dashing around in a circle, taking as many shots at Shido as he possibly could.

"**Will you never learn? An attack like this is nothing against me!" **

"**We'll see about that!" **Toya yelled, as he continued unloading onto Shido. Every single bullet shot was deflected, and fell onto the floor.

"H-He needs help…! He won't get anywhere just shooting like that!" Haru said, taking a step back.

"...I'll go!" Morgana yelled out, as he put on a facade of confidence while running in. However, as soon as he started running forward, a lightning bolt came down from the sky, landing directly behind him. The attack didn't connect, but it scared him to the point where he jumped forward without even thinking, out of pure fear. After jumping, he felt himself being held in place by his tail. He then looked forward and saw Shido standing there, grinning. "Using magic like that on me… that's low, Shido!"

"**Stupid cat. That wasn't **_**my**_ **attack." **He responded, crossing his arms while staring ahead.

"W-What? But… who else would-" Morgana's voice was cut off, as he felt his tail being squeezed down on. He looked up and got a good look at Toya. he had a sinister smile on his face, grinning while squeezing down harder on Morgana's tail. The top half of his face, however, was concealed. Engulfed within a purple flame… with Mephisto hovering just behind him.

"**You want to ruin my fun **_**that**_ **badly? Shame on you." **Toya said, while moving his grip to Morgana's body.

"H-Hey! What are you-" Before Morgana could finish talking, Toya had reeled his hand back and thrown him past Shido, straight towards everyone else. He bonked his head on the floor and landed right in front of Akira.

"**Let that be a warning to all of you! Don't you DARE get in my way again!" **The purple flame on Toya's face got bigger and brighter, sending out a wave of pressure to everyone, pushing them all back a bit, with the exception of Shido.

"**So you'll turn against your own group of friends to get what you want… I must say, I am thoroughly impressed. I never expected a thief like you to actually have a brain. If you weren't so insistent on resisting my reign, then together we could-" **Shido stopped talking as Toya quickly raised his blade into the air once more, and fired straight at Shido. He saw this coming, and quickly stopped the bullet.

"**Please. I'm nothing like you, Shido. You're just some tyrant who thinks he can rule with an iron fist, without even giving a damn about anything else. Even **_**I**_ **have some kind of honor… what do **_**you **_**have? Distorted pride will get you nowhere in this world!"**

"**...I see. Perhaps I gave you too much credit, then. Well, that won't matter much within a few moments." **Shido clenched his fist and raised it in front of him, as a menacing aura appeared around him. "**You've angered me for the last time, Jester. I will destroy you with my two hands!" **Shido began to laugh as he spread his arms apart, as a red aura appeared around him. He was getting stronger… he had to be preparing himself for something. Suddenly, he dashed forward, reeling his fist back and preparing himself to strike. Toya quickly fired his hookshot at the wall behind him and got out of the way, but Shido was ready for this. He lowered his fist and then quickly pulled it up, uppercutting the air and forcing a wave of air pressure straight up towards Toya. Acting on pure instinct, Toya pushed himself off of the wall to get out of the way, but ultimately… this is what Shido _wanted_ Toya to do. "**You have no hope of dodging this one while you're in the air!" **Toya's eyes widened as he looked towards Shido, as he prepared a powerful attack. "**This ends… NOW!" **He yelled, before a massive explosion came from his body, quickly moving through the room. Toya raised his arms in front of him, but… there was no good way to defend himself from it. He yelled out in pain as the attack connected with him. For what felt like an eternity, he felt the explosion against him, before it finally stopped, and he fell down to the floor. He took deep breaths while staring at the floor, before pushing his sword into the ground next to him. His body shook as he stared towards Shido.

"**D-Damn…" **Toya said out loud, trying to recover.

"**You should be honored. You forced me to use all of my power just to stop you… no ordinary man has ever done that before. You can die knowing that you came closer to stopping me than anyone else ever could." **Shido said and laughed, as he began walking forward. Toya watched him as he started walking forward, step by step… before seeing his opportunity. A purple flame appeared on his face, causing Shido to stop for a moment.

"**You're strong, Shido. I'll give you credit for that much. However… you're also arrogant." **Toya said, as he slowly began to stand, with the purple flame growing bigger on his face.

"**Y-You can still stand…!?"**

"**That arrogance… it's going to be your downfall!" **Toya ripped his mask off, summoning Mephisto once more as he stared angrily at Shido. "**You've been ignoring the danger that's been surrounding you this entire time… and now you've trapped yourself right in the middle of it!" **

"**Danger…? What the hell are you on about!?" **Toya simply laughed in response for a moment.

"**Show him what I mean… MEPHISTO!" **Toya yelled as loud as he could, as a purple gun appeared in front of Mephisto. It spun around for a moment… before suddenly, a gust of wind magic was conjured… but it wasn't aimed at Shido. Instead, it was all around him… and just then, Shido realized exactly what Toya was saying. Using the wind, Toya was able to raise all of the bullets that Shido previously deflected into the air… and they were completely surrounding him. "**You've lost the game, Shido. THIS ENDS NOW!" **He yelled once more, as all of the bullets began to move in towards Shido at once. He did his best to stop them all, but… he couldn't defend himself from all angles at once. Progressively, more and more bullets ripped through his body… along with the blades of wind that carried them through the air. When attacked at all angles like this… Shido had no way to keep himself protected. Within a few moments… Shido's body was covered in bullet holes and tiny cuts. He slowly fell down to the ground… as his muscles regressed back to normal size.

"How could I… lose?" Shido said softly, trying to pick himself up from the ground.

"**Leaders are destined to fail if they're too arrogant to realize when they're being outsmarted. No amount of strength could save you from what I had planned for you, Shido." **Toya slowly walked towards Shido, as he raised his blade up. However, just as he did… he heard something. The sound of a gunshot came from behind him, and a bullet went flying past him, just barely missing his cheek.

"That's enough!" Akira yelled out, as he held his gun in front of him.

"**So… you still want to defy me, even now?" **Toya said, as he turned around, finally facing the Phantom Thieves for the first time since Mephisto re-appeared.

"T-Those eyes…!" Futaba said, staring at Toya.

"They're… golden? Wait, isn't that… the same color as Shadows…!?" Ann took a step back out of fear, as Toya slowly approached them.

"B-But how!? There's no reason that Toya should have the same eyes as a Shadow!" Makoto yelled out, until suddenly… a realization came to her mind. "U-Unless… that the person standing before us is actually..." Makoto went into a state of shock for a moment, as she stared at who she thought was Toya… but as she kept looking, she realized the truth of it. Whenever Mephisto was summoned before, Toya would always have a golden outline around his eyes, but… this was different. It wasn't just an outline anymore- his eyes were pure gold. And as she came to a conclusion, along with everyone else… the figure before them began to laugh as loud as he possibly could, covering one of his eyes as he stared at everyone.

"**So... you finally uncovered the truth."**


	75. Evil Incarnate

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Shido's Palace (Assembly Hall)**

"Wait… are you telling me this is…!?" Morgana took a step back while trying to process what he was hearing, but it still didn't make any sense to him.

"**I suppose I'm what you fools refer to as a 'Shadow.' Although, truth be told… I am much more than the scum you fight in these Palaces."**

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Ryuji yelled, clenching his fists tightly.

"**Oh, please. Numbskulls such as yourselves could never begin to fathom the grim reality of this situation."**

"Try us." Akira said calmly, staring the Shadow right in his eyes.

"**So, the leader speaks for the entire group? How amusing." **The Shadow quietly chuckled to himself for a moment. "**Very well. I shall entertain this request of yours." **The Shadow slowly took hold of the mask on his face, smirking as a purple flame slowly materialized around him. "**My name… is Osiris. I was created by divine entities, and given the form of a Shadow."**

"Divine entities…? As in… Gods…!?" Haru covered her mouth with one hand after speaking, as the situation seemed to progressively worsen.

"**That's right. But not just any god. I was specifically created by a God of Control- the one who pulls the strings of the general public's hearts. He created me with one goal- to give the world a true, unbiased judgement. He would keep the general public in line… and I would judge those who wish to rebel against his ideals." **Osiris materialized Toya's gunblade in his hands, then pointed it towards the Phantom Thieves. "**You are all examples of those who rebel against his ideas. As such, his goal was for me to judge groups like you, and either force you back into the order he created… or simply dispose of you."**

"But… why are you taking control over Toya's body!? What does he have to do with this!?" Makoto cried out, swiping her hands out in front of her as she spoke.

"**It's not like a god can just create another god. The strongest kind of being he can create is a Shadow. As for why I've taken the form of Toya's Shadow… well, to be blunt… it was a convenient opportunity." **

"Convenient…?"

"**For me to take control over someone, I need them to be going through a state of physical or emotional stress. I need for them to be going through a time of grief or desperation." **Osiris chuckled to himself for a moment, before gripping his face with his free hand. "**That's why my God decided to… interfere with his life."**

"Interfere with his life…? What do you mean by that!?"

"**He had the grit to fight for his life and his allies to begin with… so all that was necessary was for him to go through a traumatic experience that would put him on a path to the Metaverse." **Osiris broke out into a hysterical laughing fit, filling the Phantom Thieves with dread. "_**That's**_… **why his poor father had to die."**

"No, that… that can't be! Akechi was the one to murder his father!"

"**Indeed, he was. And the one who gave him access to the Metaverse… was none other than the same God who created me!" **Osiris began laughing louder, descending further and further into madness.

"Then… his father, his brother… even my father, Futaba's mother, and everyone Akechi killed…" Haru grit her teeth, before her axe materialized in her hands, as she held it in front of her. "That was all so some god could create you!? All of those lives were sacrificed… just so you could be stronger!?"

"**Of course! The general public will repopulate regardless of meaningless faces like them. So, their lives being sacrificed for a greater good… is a small price to pay, don't you think?"**

"You… You're no better than Shido! No, you're worse! You're just evil incarnate!" Futaba yelled, emerging from her Persona and standing alongside everyone else.

"Surely you don't think you can get away with taking our ally's body!"

"Yeah! No matter how strong you are, there's no way you can fight all of us at once!" Yusuke and Ann yelled as everyone's weapons materialized in their hands, as they prepared themselves for a fight.

"**You want to fight me? You're braver than you look." **Osiris began laughing, with a menacing aura forming around him. "**Fine then. Allow me to make the first move!" **Osiris gripped his blade tightly, but… instead of keeping it pointed towards the Phantom Thieves, he instead put the blade directly at his neck, smirking and chuckling to himself as he stared at the group with malicious intent in his eyes.

"What are you…?" Akira raised his arms to his sides and stopped everyone else from advancing forward, as he looked into Osiris's eyes.

"**What are you waiting for? What happened to all that bravado from earlier!?" **Osiris held his blade closer to his neck while laughing out loud. "**You might want to be a bit careful though. I might panic if you get too close to me! And if I were to panic when there's a blade so close to my neck… who knows what could happen?" **

"You wouldn't…!"

"**Oh, please, be careful! You're so close! Another step, and I might hurt poor Toya's body to the point of no repair! Please, stay back!" **Osiris spoke mockingly, before breaking out into a psychotic fit of laughter. The Phantom Thieves were all frustrated, but… they had no choice but to take a step back, out of worry. "**So now you care about his well-being? What a twist! Tell me- did you secretly care about him? Or are you just worried about having his blood on his hands!?" **

"What are you talking about!? We've cared about him for a while now!"

"**Have you, now? Have you **_**really?**_" Osiris lowered his blade, leaving it pointed towards the ground. "**Then **_**surely**_ **you can explain your reasoning for giving me the opening I needed to take control over his body, right?"**

"How did we give you any kind of an opening!? We didn't do _anything_ to accomplish that!"

"**Oh, but you did! You and allies did exactly what I needed you to do!"**

"How did we do anything like that!?"

"**Fool… do I really need to explain **_**everything**_ **to you?" **Osiris looked at Akira and sighed, before chuckling to himself. "**Well, it might be entertaining... to see your reactions when you realize how guilty you are." **Osiris smirked, before tapping his finger on the side of his head. "**As I said before… Toya needs to be going through incredible amounts of stress and trauma for me to have a real influence on his mind. But… for me to have control over his entire body like this? He needs to be going through something much, much more drastic. Such as… the realization that **_**none**_ **of you trust him. The realization that, deep down… you all think he's some psychotic criminal." **

"W-We don't think that…!" Makoto spoke up, stepping in front of Akira, who had been the only one speaking to Osiris for quite some time now.

"**Oh, you **_**don't?**_ **Then why didn't you trust him?" **

"Trust him…?"

"**Think for a moment. What was the last thing you remember him doing before I took control over his body?"**

"He…" Makoto paused, as she recalled what Toya told everyone before any of this happened.

* * *

_Toya: "No! We can't take it yet! We need to make sure he can't unleash his ultimate power, or we're all done for!"_

_Akira: "Ultimate power…? What are you saying?"_

_Toya: "Don't you get it? The harness is there to suppress him! If we give him a chance, he's just gonna get stronger!"_

* * *

"He… he was warning us. Warning us about Shido's true power."

"**Very good. Now, tell me… how did **_**you**_ **react? And I mean **_**you**_ **specifically."** Osiris smirked as he responded to Makoto, staring right at her.

"...I…"

* * *

_Makoto: "What the hell do you think you're doing!? This isn't even remotely like you! What do you gain out of just relentlessly attacking!? We can just take his Treasure and be done with it!"_

_Toya: "You… Not even you get it…!? You really think we can just walk up and grab his Treasure so easily!? You're smarter than this! Please, just think about it for a second! Do you really think he's just gonna let this be easy!?"_

_Makoto: "Listen to yourself! Have you even thought about half the things you've been doing these past couple of days!? You're like a loose cannon!" _

* * *

"**Judging by that expression… you remember exactly what you said, don't you?" **Osiris said, chuckling. Makoto couldn't even speak in response… as the shock had settled in. Guilt completely filled her mind, as she took a step back, with a tear slowly dripping down her face. "**Oh, poor Toya… can you imagine what his thoughts were like? How **_**scared**_ **he was?** **Within those last moments that he had control of his body… all he could feel was sorrow… and heartbreak. And then, when he realized he was losing control of his body… Oh, the genuine fear he felt… It was tragic! I almost felt bad for him…" **

"That's enough!" Haru yelled out, quickly getting in front of Makoto. "You gain nothing out of tormenting her like this! She's been through enough."

"**You're **_**still**_ **trying to ruin my fun?" **Osiris groaned, before feeling a pain in his mind. He held one hand to his head while grunting. "**Well, look at that… I'm out of time anyways."**

"Out of time…?" Morgana said, tilting his head for a moment.

"**I don't have permanent control over this body yet… but soon…" **Osiris began to laugh to himself as he got down to his knees, gripping his head. "**Judgement Day is coming… and then, the power of the Jester… it will be mine! ALL mine!" **Osiris continued laughing himself, before grunting even louder… and then, he faced towards the ground… and then, everything was silent for just a moment… a moment that felt like an eternity. Then, the sound of a soft sniffle came from Toya's body.

"...T-Toya…?" Makoto said, before slowly walking towards him. His body was absolutely still, and the only sound that could be heard from him was deep breathing, as if he was out of breath… or maybe it was the sound of hyperventilating. It was impossible to tell the difference… especially in the heat of the moment. "Hey… Are you in there…?" She continued to walk closer, as not hearing a response. "I know it looks really bad, but I swear… I swear, Toya, it's not-" Before she could finish speaking, he quickly raised his hand into the air, catching everyone off guard. Suddenly, his hookshot flew out of his gauntlet, as he soared through the air. "T-Toya!" Makoto called out to him, but he was long gone. He kept going, without ever looking back.

"Let him go." Akira said calmly, while walking towards Makoto. "Give him some time to be alone. He needs it."

**November 27th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Mementos**

Taking deep breaths, Akechi slowly made his way back up from the subway station. It was hard for him to do much, but… he wanted to do _something _with his time, and training was the only thing available to him, due to the fact that he couldn't be in the real world without being noticed. However, when he got up to the main street of Shibuya, he saw Toya, but… something was wrong. Toya didn't even look at him- instead, he just started… running.

"Toya? Where are you going?" He called out to him, but… no answer. Toya just kept running, without any kind of a response. "Toya!?" Akechi started chasing after him, but… he was already winded from his training. Not to mention, he had been practically tortured not even days ago.

_"What is he doing...?" _He thought to himself, staring at Toya as he ran off into the distance. There was something seriously wrong... he'd never just run away like that- not unless it was something dangerous. And if it _was_ something dangerous... why didn't he at least say something? It was mind boggling, but even more than that... it was concerning. It was genuinely concerning Akechi... and he wanted to do something about it. He _had_ to do something about it... he had to at least figure out what was going on with Toya.


	76. Prisoner

**December 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Yongen-Jaya**

RYUJI: Nobody's seen him yet, right?

AKIRA: I haven't seen him at all.

ANN: Where do you guys think he could be hiding?

YUSUKE: We've already checked all of Mementos, so I doubt he can be any further down than we've been.

FUTABA: So is he in the real world then?

HARU: What about his Palace? Do you think he found a way in…?

MAKOTO: That's doubtful.

MAKOTO: I've tried everything to get there, and I couldn't find a way.

MAKOTO: It's seemingly impossible, but…

MAKOTO: Surely there has to be _some_ way, right?

AKIRA: Definitely. But as things stand right now… we can't just try to figure out a way in and hope he's there.

AKIRA: We should look around in the real world instead. Maybe he's found a place to hide without cops finding him.

RYUJI: It's a better idea than I've got…

ANN: Ugh, I wish we could get other people to help with this…

YUSUKE: Technically, people are already searching for him.

FUTABA: Yeah. They just have… different reasons.

HARU: So, are we looking around Tokyo today?

ANN: I guess… where should we start?

MAKOTO: Let's split up. It'll be easier to cover more ground.

MAKOTO: Just… start looking around wherever you are right now.

Makoto took a deep breath as she held her phone against her chest. She had spent more time than anyone looking for Toya, and… she had a good idea of where she could potentially find him. Everyone was looking in the real world today… meaning that she wouldn't get interrupted by anyone. She waited outside and stared at the street from behind cover, waiting for something, until suddenly feeling her phone vibrating against her.

HARU: Are you okay…?

MAKOTO: I'm… trying.

MAKOTO: I'll be fine. I just… I'll feel better when we've found him.

HARU: If you say so…

HARU: Hey, do you want to try looking for him together?

MAKOTO: I think I'd be better off looking alone. Covering as much ground as possible is important.

HARU: Right. Okay then.

HARU: Tell me if you find anything, okay?

MAKOTO: Yeah, of course.

She took a deep breath and put her phone away. 'Covering more ground'... it wasn't a _complete_ lie. But she had… different plans. She waited for a few more moments… and then, as she was peeking out of an alleyway into the street, she saw Akira walk by… and go into a different direction. This is exactly what she was waiting for. She slowly got out of the alley and walked in the opposite direction, without Akira ever noticing her. She had to grab something… something that would prove to be rather important, if everything went well, and she couldn't let anyone else know about it.

**December 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Mementos**

Akechi sat outside of the subway station, and sighed. Another day… and he still couldn't do anything about Toya. He didn't have the words to say- or even the bond with him to actually do anything about his condition. Toya knew him at this point… he had seen all of his darkness, and even seen the inside of his mind. But… Akechi barely knew anything about Toya, the more he thought about it. He could never get through to him… and he already seemed so far gone.

"I've been looking for you…" Suddenly, a voice called out to him. He looked towards the street… only to see Makoto standing there, with a determined look in her eyes.

"Makoto…? You've been looking for _me_?"

"Kind of. I know that if anyone has a clue of where Toya is… it's you. You've been here this entire time, right? Surely you must have some kind of an idea as to where he could be."

"...I do. I've been trying to talk to him for days, but… he's just been telling me to leave him alone. I tried talking to him earlier, but…"

* * *

_Toya: "Stop wasting your time. Go back."_

_Akechi: "Toya, I'm not going to just leave you here."_

_Toya: "Yes, you are. There's nothing you can do."_

_Akechi: "But… why!? Why are you choosing to stay here alone!?"_

_Toya: "It's better this way. Like I said… it prevents things from getting any worse."_

_Akechi: "You still haven't even told me what that means!"_

_Toya: "It doesn't matter what it means. What matters… is that I'm staying right here, like it or not."_

_Toya: "There's no reason for you to be here, too. You're just gonna waste your life away here."_

_Akechi: "Isn't that exactly what you're doing!?"_

_Toya: "And that's exactly why I'm doing it."_

_Akechi: "What…!?"_

_Akechi: "Why would you willingly do such a thing!?"_

_Toya: "For the love of… just LEAVE!"_

_Akechi: "Toya-"_

_Toya: "NO! I've heard enough out of you. You come here day after day… and for what? Can't you tell when it's time to give up!?"_

_Toya: "Leave the devil to his demons… and enjoy whatever bits of your life are left." _

_Toya: "There might be something left out there for you. But there is __**nothing**_ _for you here."_

_Toya: "So, for the last time…"_

_Toya: "LEAVE."_

* * *

"He… wasn't exactly happy to see me. I don't think there's anything I can do for him."

"Let me talk to him. I can get through to him."

"Are you sure? You might not like what you hear…"

"Anything is better than sitting around and not even seeing him."

"...Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. Come with me."

**December 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**After School - Underground Interrogation Room**

"...What is this place…?" Makoto asked, looking around.

"It's a top secret location. The police use this place to interrogate people." Akechi sighed, while looking towards the room at the end. "He's in the room at the end. That room… it's also where he found me, after Shido had gotten me arrested."

"Wait, he's staying _here!? _But… why!?"

"...You should ask him yourself. I'll give you two some time alone… perhaps you'll have a better chance at getting through to him."

"How much do you know about what's going on with him, anyways?"

"Not much. He keeps talking about how I should 'leave the devil to his demons', but… I'm not sure what he means."

"I see. So he hasn't told you about Osiris."

"Osiris…?"

"Nevermind. I don't think I'd be able to explain it very well." She said, looking towards the room at the end of the hallway. She was nervous, but… she knew what she had to do. She reached into her pocket and pulled something out, hiding it behind her before walking towards the door and opened it… only to see Toya on the other side, facing away.

"This is twice in the same day, Akechi. Don't you know when to quit?"

"He doesn't, and I don't either." Toya let out a soft gasp underneath his breath as he turned around, locking eyes with Makoto. "I thought you were the same way."

"I am, Makoto."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm here _because_ I refuse to give up."

"You stay inside of an underground bunker, used to interrogate and torture people… and you consider it _not_ giving up?"

"I didn't expect you to understand."

"Well then _help_ me understand!" Makoto raised her voice, before pausing for a moment. She closed the door behind her, and got closer to the desk Toya sat behind, still hiding something behind her back, not letting Toya see it. He closed his eyes and sighed as Makoto walked up to him.. "What are you accomplishing by staying here by yourself!?" Toya clenched his fist underneath the desk. "This isn't fighting- this is giving up! This is you conceding defeat and throwing your life away! Don't act like it's noble to-"

"I don't CARE if it's noble or not!" Toya snapped as his eyes jolted open, slamming his fist down against the iron desk in a rage.

"T-Toya…?"

"Do you think I WANT this? Do you think I want to waste away in a cognitive world until I die? Do you think I want to throw away all the bonds I've made since I moved here!? Of course not!" He grinded his fist against the desk as he looked down, gritting his teeth. "I want to live a real life. I want to be happy. I want all of my friends to be happy- I want _us_ to be happy, together! But…!"

"But…?"

"But Osiris is _stronger_ than me. I can't overcome him- I've tried for months! Then, when I thought I was _finally_ stronger than him… he wins. He took control over my _entire_ body!" A subtle sob came from Toya's mouth as he closed his eyes once more, feeling tears burning through his eyes and down his cheeks. "Do you know how _terrified_ I was…? I could see everything… I could _hear_ everything… I could even _feel_ everything. But no matter how I struggled… I couldn't move. So that entire time, I had to watch _my_ body move. I had to watch me nearly kill Shido… and then, after… all I could do was hope that he didn't try doing the same to you- or anyone else."

"But he didn't. He didn't even try doing anything to us…"

"Who's to say he won't next time?"

"Who's to say there's gonna _be_ a next time?"

"There won't be. Because I'm staying here."

"What…? What does that even mean?"

"Don't you remember? Osiris said that he can only take over my mind if I'm in a state of stress- basically, if I get really emotional. So, that means if I stay here alone… then he can never control me."

"Y-You can't do that…! You can't just throw your life away because of him!"

"I'm sorry, Makoto. I am. If we could get to my Palace, then things would be different. But… we've tried everything, haven't we?" A massive wave of guilt showered Makoto. She gripped something tightly in the hand behind her back… before it slowly slipped out of her grasp, as she closed her eyes, with a tear slowly streaming down her cheek.

"But… what about us…?"

"Makoto…"

"You can't just… leave everyone like this…!"

"You know I don't want to do that, Makoto. I would love to return to the real world… more than anything. But… I can't." She closed her eyes, as more tears came out. She slowly turned around and walked towards the door. "Makoto…" No response. She reached for the door handle and slowly opened the door, starting to walk away. "Wait…!" She couldn't even hear him anymore. Her thoughts… they were too loud for that. She turned away and ran- ran straight for the exit, without turning away.

"_Way to go, Toya…_" Toya looked down and gripped his head tightly with both hands. "_Damn it…! Why did it have to be like this…!?_"

**December 1st, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Evening - Leblanc**

AKIRA: Anyone find anything?

RYUJI: Nothin'.

ANN: It's impossible…

YUSUKE: I feel as if we might be unable to find him at this rate.

FUTABA: I got nothing either.

FUTABA: What about you two, Makoto and Haru?

HARU: I couldn't find a trace of him…

MAKOTO:

FUTABA: Uh… Makoto…?

HARU: Leave her be, Futaba.

HARU: She's probably more hurt by this than anyone.

"So we still can't find him…" Akira sighed, spreading his arms out as he laid in bed.

"Come on- we'll find him eventually!" Morgana said, jumping up onto the bed.

"...I hope that's true."

"Come on, lighten up. Toya wouldn't just vanish on everyone, right?" Akira didn't verbally respond. Instead, he just stared at Morgana for a moment. "...Well, he'd at least tell Makoto and Haru!" Akira sighed again, before hearing his phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Yo… you have a minute?"

"Ryuji? What's up?"

"It's just…" Ryuji took a deep breath. "Have you ever felt like… _really _guilty? Like, guilty to the point where you don't even wanna do anything."

"Why do you ask…?"

"You know all that stuff Osiris said, about how if Toya was never pushed into a corner, he wouldn't take control of him?"

"Yeah…"

"It got me thinkin'... I feel like I contributed a lot to that. Even more than everyone else. I mean, I ambushed the dude in Mementos… and I didn't even listen to what he had to say. I just… attacked him." Ryuji pauses for a moment. "He didn't even fight back for the longest time… it wasn't until I landed a lot of hits. And even then- he could have killed me if he really wanted to… but he didn't. He even gave Yusuke the medicine to fix me up." The sound of Ryuji's fist slamming against a table could be heard from the other side of the phone. "And… when we fought again in Okumura's Palace… the same thing happened at first. He barely fought back until we threw a damn grenade at him! Only that time… you could tell how big of a mental toll it had on him. That was the first time we saw Mephisto… or well, I guess the first time we got a glimpse of Osiris. And it was because of me…"

"You can't just blame yourself, Ryuji."

"How can I not…!? I must've effed up his mind so bad back then…"

"Maybe. But with everything else that happened… I'm sure this would have happened regardless."

"I don't know, man…"

"And besides. He's been willing to work with you for a while now, hasn't he? You two even fought my Shadow together… I'm sure he wouldn't have been willing to do that if he hated you."

"...Yeah, you're right. Thanks, man."

"No problem."

"Hey… can we look for him some more tomorrow? I still wanna find him."

"Yeah. I'm sure there's _somewhere_ we haven't checked yet."

"Alright. I'm gonna get some sleep now. You do too, alright?"

"Got it. Goodnight." The two of them hung up, as Akira laid back down and closed his eyes. He needed to get some rest… maybe things would be easier tomorrow.

"_Toya…_" Morgana thought to himself for a moment. "_You wouldn't just vanish on everyone, would you…?_" He looked towards the table that Toya's calling card was on… only to see that it was missing.

"H-Hey, Joker?" Morgana turned towards Akira, but… he was already asleep.

"_How can he fall asleep so fast!?_" He thought to himself, jumping towards the table. He looked around on it, but… the card was gone.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Early Morning - Leblanc**

Over a week had passed since then. The Phantom Thieves couldn't find Toya, no matter how hard they looked. Although Makoto knew exactly where he was... she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone- not even her own sister. It just felt... wrong to do that now. So instead, she kept it to herself. In the time that had passed... Shido "won" the election, however... when he did, he confessed to his crimes on the spot. When he did... there was a public outrage of sorts. Nobody wanted to believe it- and as a result, nobody did. Instead, they all silently agreed that it was a hoax, and that somehow, the Phantom Thieves were responsible for all of this. As a result... the group had come together with one plan... to change the hearts of the entire general public. And the only way that they could do that... was through Mementos. It was a massive risk, and there were a lot of things for them to worry about, but... they _had_ to do this. If they didn't... everything was at stake. They would have risked their lives fighting against Shido for nothing... and eventually, the police would find a way to come down on them. That couldn't happen... meaning they had to do this, and they had to do it now.

AKIRA: The public opinion on Shido still hasn't changed...

MAKOTO: Are we going, then?

RYUJI: Yeah. We have to!

YUSUKE: Is this really going to work...?

ANN: Stealing the Treasure of the entire general public...? It's a stretch, but we don't really have any other options.

FUTABA: I'm still kinda nervous, honestly...

HARU: We still have to do this. This is what the Phantom Thieves should be doing in the world.

AKIRA: Okay. Let's all get to Mementos then.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Underground Interrogation Room**

"_How long has it been…?_" Toya thought to himself, while looking down to the ground. "_Makoto…_" He felt… broken, in a way. He missed her… but there was nothing he could do. He thought about the last time he had seen her… and then randomly, remembered something. "_Didn't she bring something with her…? I think she dropped it though._" He slowly got up out of his seat and looked around the floor… before freezing in place, as his eyes locked on to something. It was a card… black and red, with a red top hat, and the words 'TAKE YOUR HEART' written on the back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I probably need to explain this: why exactly are the Phantom Thieves going into Mementos almost 2 weeks earlier than in the main story? Well... simple. It's because Shido's Election happened sooner. They only went in due to the public response to Shido's confession, which happened on Election Day, so it wouldn't make sense for them to wait for Christmas Eve in this story when Shido confessed much sooner.


	77. The Epitome of the Devil

**ecember 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Underground Interrogation Room**

"Toya Kazero, the epitome of the Devil himself. You give in to the temptation of sin and unleash your anger at the expense of others, then proceed to justify it by saying they are also sinners. We have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, The Phantom Thieves." Toya read the calling card he had found on the ground, and for a moment… his body shuddered in place.

"_What the hell…!? They made this!? They even had Makoto deliver it!? But… But when did they figure out my location!? Wait… have they known this entire time…!? Have they been keeping this from me…!?_ _I've been sitting here, literally going insane for days… all by myself… and they… they have the audacity to keep something like this from me!?_" Toya gripped the table in the room for a moment, and felt the anger inside of him flaring up. But then… he took a deep breath. "_Calm down… I need to stay calm. Osiris will take over again if I lose my temper._" Toya took another look at the calling card in his hand… then grit his teeth, and started running out the door. "_I need to find them. If they know how to get into my Palace… they're not going without me!_" Toya kept running, making his way back to Shibuya Station. However… as he kept running, somewhere deep in his mind, a sinister voice spoke.

"_**The day has finally come…!" **_A sinister laughter echoed throughout the deepest parts of Toya's mind, but… Toya couldn't even hear it. He was so focused on this one thing… and nothing else.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Mementos**

Toya ran for what had felt like an eternity, with his own calling card in his pocket, and a war inside his head. That sinister, echoing laughter… it was getting louder and louder. But Toya could do nothing about it… he just had to ignore it. As much as that voice irritated him… and as much of a problem as it was… it could wait a bit. This was more important to him… infinitely more important. Eventually, he found his way back to Shibuya, to the subway station that led into Mementos, and saw Akechi waiting outside.

"Toya…? You… came out…?"

"There's no time for that right now…" Toya said, taking deep breaths. "Everyone… where is everyone…?"

"Everyone? Hey, slow down for a second-"

"I need to find everyone! It's important."

"I said slow down. You look exhausted. Did you run all the way here?" Toya glared at Akechi for a moment… before closing his eyes, walking towards a wall and resting against it for a moment, which inevitably led to him sitting down on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry. It's just… important."

"Important? In what way?"

"Well… when Makoto came by, she… left something behind. I didn't notice it until now."

"She left something behind? You need to see everyone for _that?_"

"It's…" Toya sighed, reaching into his pocket. "Here. See for yourself." He took out the calling card and held it in front of Akechi's face. He looked over and began reading it to himself… and let out a soft gasp as he did.

"A calling card…!? But… since when were they infiltrating your Palace…!?"

"That's what I want to know. That's why I wanted to talk to them myself. For all I know, they've been looking for this thing for a while now, and could never find it. Which brings me to my original point… where are they?"

"They're… down there. In the depths of Mementos."

"The depths of Mementos…? They're all the way down there?"

"They came by earlier today. Makoto was the one to tell me that they're trying to change the hearts of the entire general public."

"The entire- what!? What are they trying to do _that_ for!?"

"Apparently, public reception to Shido's confession was… different than they had expected. They're all still mindlessly following him rather than seeing him as a criminal."

"That doesn't make any damn sense…"

"I know. But… you're better off not going down there. They've been there all day. At this rate, by the time you get all the way down there… they'll be done."

"Yeah… I guess." Toya closed his eyes for a moment, putting the card back in his pocket. "But man… I just want to know what the hell is going on."

"You've known about your Palace for quite some time now, right?"

"Well, yeah. I've known for months. But… I've never actually been able to find out what my location is. I know what my keyword is, but… all this time, I've been struggling to actually figure out what the location is."

"A location…? Well… I can't imagine you've missed anything too big. You know yourself better than I do."

"Yeah… maybe." In truth… Toya wasn't even sure _who_ he was anymore. After hearing Osiris talk for so long, and after losing control of his body… he almost felt like a puppet. In a way… it reminded him of what he had seen in Akechi's Palace. Used as a puppet… entirely for someone else's twisted dreams. It… kinda scared him, but he couldn't think about that. He would just confuse himself, and then doubt himself again. He had to deal with things for now… whether he liked it or not. He slowly opened his eyes again, and when he did… he noticed something off. "H-Hey, Akechi…?"

"Yes?"

"Am… Am I just going crazy, or is the floor over there… glowing…?" Toya raised his arm and pointed towards a spot on the floor. Akechi looked and… sure enough, the floor there was pure white.

"What the…?"

"You see it too?" Toya kept looking around, and… progressively, the entire floor started changing… becoming a clear white color. "Hey… it's spreading!"

"What is this…!?" The floor underneath the two of them got brighter and brighter, and as it did, an unbearable head pain began to come over them. They grit their teeth and gripped their heads with both hands, closing their eyes, as before they knew it… the entire world around them changed.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya Station**

Eventually, the head pain began to pass.

"What was that…?" Akechi said, slowly opening his eyes. "W-Wait…!"

"Don't tell me something _else_ is happening…" Toya opened his eyes, and looked around… and his body froze as he did. "W-What!? The real world… How!?"

"You didn't do anything on your phone, did you…!?"

"N-No! I didn't even open the app!" Toya responded, before… he felt something land on his head. It felt like rain, but… different, at the same time. Sure enough, it started raining around him, but… the rain was crimson red, instead of the regular clear color. "H-Hey, what is this!?"

"I don't know… I've never seen anything like this befo-" Akechi's speech got cut off as the ground beneath him began to shake. He quickly jumped back, as suddenly… a massive fossil came from the ground, shooting straight up into the air. "W-What is this?!"

"It's…" Toya quickly pulled out his phone, and opened the Nav app. "T-The Nav says… we're in the real world…!"

"That's impossible! This is nothing like the real world at all! This is…" Akechi paused, then began to look around. "...Is it just me, or… is nobody else reacting to this…?"

"What?" Toya began looking around as well, and… everyone was just having a casual conversation. Talking about their day to day lives, and such. "What…? But… that doesn't make any sense! How does nobody else notice-"

"**AAAAAAAAAGH!" **Suddenly, a loud, blood curdling scream could be heard from nearby.

"D-did you hear that!?"

"That sounded like Ryuji…! Akechi, let's go! We need to find him!" The two quickly ran into the direction of the yell, shoving everyone else out of their way.

"**AAAA-" **They heard another devastating yell, before suddenly… the yell was cut short. The two of them got to the source of it all, and saw… something that frightened them. Akira, Morgana, Makoto, and Haru… were all there, on the floor… and their bodies were fading. As for the other, including Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Futaba… they were already gone.

"W-What the...!?"

"T-Toya…!" Haru called out, looking towards him. Toya turned his eyes towards Haru, but… just then, she disappeared into a black fist, evaporating into the air.

"What… What the hell is going on here!?" Akechi yelled out in response, after watching her vanish.

"Is this all my fault…? Because I… brought you all there…?" Morgana said, as a black mist took the color out of his fur.

"Brought you all where!? Hey, talk to us!" Akechi yelled, getting closer to Morgana.

"I didn't mean to…! I-I'm… I'm sorry… The mission's… a failure…" Morgana looked towards everyone, and… faded, into nothingness.

"T-Toya…?" Makoto said weakly, looking towards him. Toya quickly got close to her, wrapping his arms around her body as it began to fade away.

"H-Hey, stay with me!"

"Toya… I-I'm sorry…"

"D-Don't apologize! Everything is fine! You're… You're gonna be fine! Nothing bad is gonna happen to you!" Toya said in a panic, staring at Makoto, but… sure enough, within moments… she faded away in Toya's arms, turning to a black mist that quickly dissipated into the air. He couldn't even respond… he just sat there, staring at the spot where she was. His arms hadn't even moved yet… and his eyes were wide open, in a state of shock.

"Akira! What's going on here!? Why is everyone fading away!?" Akechi asked, quickly getting towards Akira. But… Akira couldn't even speak anymore. He simply raised one arm into the air… and faded away into nothingness, along with the rest of them. "Even you…!?" Akechi took a step back, trying to process everything.

"Th-They all…" Toya's voice was shaky… along with the entirety of his body. "N-N-No! Th-This is just some kinda trick, right? My mind is just going crazy, right!?" Toya said, practically hyperventilating.

"Toya…"

"I-I was just down there for too long, so I'm just going crazy! O-Or maybe it's Osiris messing with me! O-Or-"

"Hey, do you recognize those kids over there…?"

"Oh…! Wait, aren't their names… Toya Kazero and Goro Akechi…?"

"That's right! Wait… aren't they supposed to be criminals or something now!?"

"Damn it… people are noticing us!" Akechi grit his teeth, looking towards Toya. "We have to get out of here, now!"

"Just a dream… just some… c-crazy dream… right…?"

"TOYA! Damn it…!" Akechi ran over to Toya and grabbed him by the arm and lifted him up, dragging him away. Toya didn't even resist… he just kept looking at that same spot. Akechi brought him into an alleyway where nobody would find them too easily, putting him down to the ground. "Seriously… just what the hell is happening here!?"

"Th-This is all just an illusion… isn't it?" Toya said, nervously laughing to himself as he began standing up. "I mean… come on! Look around! The real world fusing with the Metaverse…? No way! That could never ha-"

"Beginning navigation." Toya's speech came to an immediate halt, as a robotic voice called out. He took his phone out… and saw that he left the Nav app open. "Huh…? W-What the…" Akechi quickly got next to him and looked at the phone screen.

"Hell, Toya Kazero, Metaverse… W-Wait, don't tell me…!"

* * *

_Akechi: "What… What the __hell_ _is going on here!?_"

* * *

_Civilian: "Oh…! Wait, aren't their names… __Toya Kazero_ _and Goro Akechi…?"_

* * *

_Toya: "I mean… come on! Look around! The real world fusing with the __Metaverse_…_? No way!" _

* * *

"We… accidentally… entered in all of your keywords…!?" Akechi took a step back with widened eyes. Then, a headache overcame both of them, causing them to close their eyes, as once again… the world around them went through a drastic change.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (First Circle - LIMBO)**

The pain passed much quicker this time… and the atmosphere around them… to Akechi, it was new… but Toya recognized it. The heat… the darkness… there was no doubting it. This was his Palace… the Palace he had been trying to enter for months now… and he got here by a complete accident.

"**Hahaha…! At last, you've arrived! Judgement Day is upon us!" **

"That voice…!" Toya grit his teeth and looked forward, and saw a massive purple flame appear before him… and then, he saw someone walk out of it… and it was the person he knew he'd be seeing soon enough. "Osiris…!"

"**Allow me to **_**formally**_ **welcome you to my world… Jester." **Osiris smirked and looked at him, then his eyes moved towards Akechi. "**Oh, you've brought a guest? Unexpected… but I'll allow it." **

"What the hell do you want!?"

"**My, so aggressive! And for what reason? **_**You're**_ **the one who came into **_**my**_ **world, aren't you?"**

"You know damn well I don't want to be here!"

"**Perhaps not. But you know that you **_**have**_ **to be here, right? Especially…" **Osiris held his arms out, laughing to himself, before staring straight into Toya's eyes. "**Especially if you want to know the truth of what happened to your friends."**

"You bastard… What the hell did you do to them!?"

"**Oh, are you **_**sure**_ **you want me to just tell you? You might not be able to handle it… your mind might go crazy. You remember what happened the last time you 'lost' control of yourself, don't you?"**

"You…!"

"**Relax, Jester. I'm sure you'll see them soon! Although… perhaps you'll see a side of them you don't wish to see personified."**

"What's that supposed to mean…?" Akechi said, finally speaking up.

"**Hmph… what a sorry excuse for a 'detective'. You should be able to figure this out on your own. But… you'll see soon enough regardless."**

"And what if we were to leave? I'm sure the real world has much more serious problems than… whatever the hell you are."

"**Is that what you think? Hm… perhaps you're right. Very well then." **Osiris raised one hand into the air, and snapped his fingers. "**Slave! Get over here and do your job!" **He yelled out, as suddenly… the sound of someone landing on the ground came from behind Toya and Akechi. They turned around and saw a Shadowy figure… and it charged forward. It dashed right in between the two of them… and while it was moving, it took something from both of them, catching them off guard. However… Akechi got a glimpse of the figure up close… and it looked eerily familiar.

"_Those eyes… W-Was that…?_" He thought to himself, before looking towards the figure again… who was holding up two phones.

"**Excellent. Bring them to the throne room, will you?" **The Shadow nodded in response, and vanished into a black flame, along with the two phones.

"What… Who was that!?" Toya yelled, glaring at Osiris.

"**It doesn't matter **_**who**_ **it was. All that matters is **_**what**_ **they did… and what they did was take away your only means of escape."** Osiris began laughing to himself once more, as a purple flame appeared around him. "**You have no way of escaping now. All you can do is move forward… and come straight to me!"**

"You bastard… Is this some kind of sick game to you!?"

"**Ahaha… it's more fun than that!" **Osiris laughed aloud once more, before vanishing into the purple flame he created around himself. As he vanished… Toya's clothes changed to his Metaverse attire.

"Damn it… that bastard! Taking my body and playing god with people's lives… I'm gonna make him pay, I swear!"

"Taking your body…?"

"...Now isn't the time to explain that. The point is… he _has_ to be stopped. I swear, I'll do it!" As Toya spoke, loud thuds could be heard from in front of them… the sound of a part of the ground collapsing. It created some kind of a staircase, leading further down into the Palace. "I'm going. What about you?"

"Well, I would, but… well, just look." Toya turned towards Akechi, and… noticed that he never changed into his Metaverse attire.

"Your clothes… didn't change?"

"...When my heart got changed, I realized that… I don't know my true self. I… don't know if I've been sure of who I really am for a long time. The true me, hidden behind all of my grief… I don't know what kind of person that is. And since I don't know who my true self is, and a Persona is a reflection of one's inner self…"

"...You can't summon one." Toya sighed in response, trying to process it. "Well… it can't be helped. You're stuck in here with me, too." Toya materialized his blade in his hand… and then shoved it into the ground, turning away. "Take it."

"What…? You want me to take your blade…?"

"You know how to use a sword, right? Maybe you can't call a Persona… but you can still cut through someone with that, can't you?"

"...I suppose so." Akechi slowly walked forward, lifting the blade into the air. It felt… lighter than he expected. Although… the trigger on it had him just as confused as when he first heard of Toya's weapon. "H-How exactly does a gunblade work, anyways…?"

"Don't overthink it. Just point it at something and pull the trigger." Akechi pointed the blade towards a wall, and pulled the trigger. To his surprise… it worked quite well.

"Are you ready, then?"

"...You're sure about going down there without your own weapon?"

"I still have a Persona, don't I? I'll be fine. You just make sure you keep yourself safe with that thing."

"Alright. Thank you." Akechi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was nervous… it had been a long time since he had a real ally. Running through Sae's Palace was nothing like this… back then, he didn't really care about the safety of the Phantom Thieves. He just used them to get to his ultimate goal, but… now it was different. Now, he had to rely on Toya… and Toya had to rely on him. It felt like Toya actually needed him, to an extent… and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was actually necessary. It was… comforting. And, most importantly, it gave him the determination he needed to move forward. He walked behind Toya, fully prepared to take on whatever challenges this Palace had for him.


	78. Hell of Judgement (1 of 5)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Second Circle - LUST)**

Toya and Akechi made their way down the staircase, and down to the next floor of the Palace. Much like the first floor, it just looked like one massive room, but… it was empty, like the last one was. Instead, there were… hearts all over, much to their surprise. But… there was something else filling the room. They looked like… manikins, and they all looked exactly the same. They were even wearing the same fancy suits, with sunglasses that completely hid where their eyes would be… and they were all in the same position. They were on their hands and knees, looking towards the ground- almost as if they were worshipping something- or… perhaps, some_one_. It was impossible to be certain, but… it didn't really matter to them. They didn't want to know the specifics of what was going on- they just wanted to make their way through the Palace, so they could be done with it.

"Talk about creepy…" Toya said as he walked forward, with Akechi by his side.

"The strangest part is the fact that there's nobody else here… Doesn't it look like they're all praising someone?"

"Maybe. But… I don't know. I'm getting a vibe that it's a bit more than just _praise_. I'm getting the sense that they're… _begging_, or something."

"Begging? Well… I assume I can see where you're coming from. But… why would they be begging? And, more importantly- who are they even doing this for?"

"I don't know, and… I don't really wanna stick around to find out."

"Wait… this is a Palace made out of _your_ mind, right? Shouldn't you have some kind of an idea what's going on?"

"Well… yeah. That's why I said it feels like they're begging. But remember… for a Shadow, Osiris is very… sentient. So while it's my Palace to an extent… it's also his. Maybe even moreso than mine."

"So you can't fully understand what's going on just by looking at the room, then?"

"Not really. I can get some kind of an idea, but… that's about it. Anyways, that's not what's important here. We just gotta get down to Osiris and get our phones back so we can get the hell out of here."

"I agree, but… there's no exit in sight. There's no staircase like there was for the upper floor." Toya took a minute to look around the room some more, and… Akechi was right. There was no way out.

"Well… we had to deal with Osiris before we could get down to this floor in the first place, right? Maybe we just have to deal with someone-"

"**On your knees!"** A feminine voice yelled out from above, cutting Toya off completely. They both looked up towards the ceiling, and saw a figure kick themselves down to the ground… landing right behind one of the manikins. She had long, blonde hair… and her outfit was… well, revealing, to say the very least.

"Wait, that voice…" Akechi took a step back and let out a soft gasp, with Toya staying right by his side. The figure that confronted them slowly stepped forward, out of the darkness… lifting her foot up and slamming it down onto the head of the manikin, pushing it against the ground. Her face came into full view… and it belonged to someone they had recognized a bit too well.

"A-Ann…!?"

"**I don't remember giving you the right to call me by name, slave." **Her voice was demanding, but… there was a strong sense of mischief in it, as she smirked at the two of them. "**Now, as I said! On your knees, both of you!" **

"So your cognition perceives Ann as… a dominatrix…?"

"Hell no! This is ALL Osiris, not me at all!"

"Suuuuure it is…"

"Okay, look. I might've watched her vanish into thin air, but I'm always gonna be loyal to Makoto, no matter wha-"

"HEY!" Ann yelled out, quickly catching the attention of both Toya and Akechi. "If you're not going to obey your mistress..." A long, red whip materialized in her hands, as she cracked it against the floor a couple of times before giving the two of them a much more sinister glare than before. "Then I'll have to discipline you two!"

"Damn it... we're already getting into a fight like this!? Hey, get ready!" Toya yelled out while gripping his mask. It already felt weird fighting without a sword, but... if Makoto could fight with her fists, then surely Toya could do the same thing if he tried. Meanwhile, Akechi tried to get used to the feel of Toya's blade. It was still a bit weird... but it was a lot less awkward to use than he had imagined, which was a bit of a relief. As the two of them mentally prepared themselves for the fight that was to come, Ann raised her whip into the air and immediately brought it down in their general location. They quickly jumped out of the way, just barely avoiding the crack of her whip. However, as soon as they landed, they saw Ann preparing herself to attack once more. Rather than dodging though, Akechi grit his teeth and attempted to block the hit with Toya's blade, kneeling down on one knee and gripping the blade tightly, holding it just above his head. The whip collided with the blade, sending a slight shockwave through the air, enough to push both Toya and Akechi back a bit, but Ann remained motionless.

"**Hm. You put up much more resistance than the rest of them…"** Ann smirked, before suddenly, a second whip materialized in her other hand. "**That's fine. That'll only make it more fun to make you crack!" **She raised both of her whips into the air, staring straight at Akechi and smashing them straight down towards him. He tried blocking them, but the sheer power of the two whips together were far too much for him. The impact of the shockwave caused him to lose his balance and fall down on to his back. "**Come now! Show some more of that resistance you had earlier!"** Ann mockingly said while laughing aloud, as she went to slam her whips down onto him. However, just when she went to do this… she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She had become so focused on Akechi that she had completely forgotten about Toya. He quickly ran up towards her, and with her whips not being prepared to strike him… she had no way to defend herself. He quickly jumped into the air and landed down towards her, slamming his gauntlet down against her face, sending her spiraling out of control and sending her flying out of the way.

"You know… punching people is oddly satisfying. Do I have a problem?"

"We are literally in a cognitive hell that was made out of the darkness within your mind, Toya. Yes, you have a problem."

"You weren't supposed to give me a serious answer!"

"But you asked a serious question!"

"Jesus, did you never learn what it means for something to be rhetorical-" Suddenly, Toya was cut off by the sound of fire blazing, with the sound of it overpowering his very thoughts.

"**Ugh! What is this madness!?" **Ann yelled out, with a fire raging around her. "**Nobody… nobody since Kamoshida ever **_**dreamed**_ **of being this rough!"**

"Kamoshida…!?" Toya's eyes widened as, as he got back to Akechi's side, helping him get back up on his feet. "Why is she bringing up Kamoshida…!?"

"**You…" **Ann grit her teeth and looked towards them… before her eyes suddenly darkened. "**So, you want to play rough!?" **Ann raised one of her hands in front of her… before seemingly out of nowhere, something materialized, hovering just above her palm.

"Is… is that a tarot card…?" Toya said, with a confused tone.

"It says… VI - The Lovers…? But why does she have a tarot card, of all things"

"**I'll show you… JUST WHAT IT MEANS TO GET ROUGH WITH ME!" **Ann screamed, before the card she slowly began turning… and eventually, flipped completely upside down. She maniacally laughed to herself for a moment… before suddenly, the card turned black, and she enclosed her hand around it, which caused it to smash to pieces- as if it was made of glass. When it did… the flame that was around her turned completely black, and engulfed her completely.

"What the hell… is this pressure…!?"

"It's… It's just like in Shido's Palace…!" Toya and Akechi both spoke while gritting their teeth, holding their arms in front of them as air pressure pushed them across the room. After a minute straight of being forced back… the force faded enough for them to look forward again, and… they saw something much more concerning than before. Towering before them… was Ann's Persona- the real Ann's Persona. Just like how the Cognitive Akechi did in Shido's Palace… this Cognitive Ann completely transformed her appearance into her Persona.

"**You should be honored… **_**Nobody**_ **gets to see me like **_**this.**_" She smirked and let out a soft giggle, before raising one hand into the air. "**Now, DANCE!" **She yelled, snapping her fingers. As she did, pillars of flame began rising up from the ground. They originated from the side of the room that Ann was on, but they were quickly making their way towards where Toya and Akechi were.

"Split up! She can't take take us both down at once!" Toya yelled out, as the two of them jumped in opposite directions. The pillar of flame was following Akechi… so he was forced to stay moving the entire time.

"**Oh? Is **_**that**_ **what you think!?" **Ann began to laugh, before raising her other hand into the air. As she did… a bright flame began circling around in the air, slowly converging into the center of her hand. She was concentrating… and judging by the heat of the room alone- it was going to be a powerful blast. She smirked, before panning her eyes over towards Akechi. "**You're the one who was so insistent on defying me earlier, weren't you…? Try resisting THIS!"** She yelled, before firing a massive blast of fire magic from her hand, straight towards Akechi. He couldn't even focus on dodging the attack though… the pillar of flame was following behind him, and it was getting faster. If he stopped to focus on dodging the blast of fire… he'd get engulfed by the pillar, and he would be a goner regardless.

"Diabolos!" Toya ripped his mask off and summed his Persona, before unleashing a blast of dark magic, aimed directly at the blast that Ann had fired at Akechi. The blasts collided with each other… long enough for Akechi to get away from both fire sources that Ann had sent after her. "You wanna start using magic!? Aim at me, you damn hag!"

"**What did you call me…!?"**

"What's wrong? Can't process the fact that you ran into a guy who won't blindly worship you without realizing how hideous of a creature you are!?" Toya mocked her while still holding his mask tightly, with Diabolos right behind him. What he was doing was risky… but it would be worth it, if it worked. He just needed Akechi to understand what his job was while Toya taunted her.

"**You little…!" **Ann got visibly furious, before raising both of her hands into the air. When she did… the flame pillar that was following Akechi had suddenly died out. And as it did… an incredible amount of heat was generated, and it was all centering around Ann. She was making something much stronger now… Toya could potentially resist it, but… not for long. But he had no time to think about what could possibly happen- because the heat was converging _fast_. Within just a few moments… she was ready to unleash it. "**I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH INSULTING ME LIKE THAT!" **She roared, before suddenly shooting a massive blast of fire out of her hands, aimed straight for Toya.

"DIABOLOS!" Toya had barely any time to react. He desperately fired a blast of dark magic at Ann's fire. The blasts collided with each other… and struggled to push against each other. Toya mustered up as much strength as he could… but he would never win against this. Thankfully… he didn't need to. "Maybe you _are_ my cognition of Ann… You're as easy to read as I thought."

"**What the hell are you saying!?"**

"You're easy to read. Easy to get flustered. And, most importantly…" Toya glared at Ann from where he stood, smirking. "You're easy as hell to distract. Do it NOW, Akechi!

"I'm on it!" Akechi responded, as he ran up to Ann. Ann saw him out of the corner of her eye, but… she couldn't defend herself. All of her focus was on Toya… she was tricked. She tried to push one last time to potentially finish off Toya, but she couldn't do it. Before she knew it, Akechi was right behind her… and with the blade he held in his hands, he cut right through her. When he did… for a moment, there was silence. Then, she let out a blood curdling scream of anguish… before suddenly, a dark blade engulfed her body. Akechi quickly jumped away as he saw the flame, getting out of danger before it scorched him. The screams continued on for a while… before dying out, along with the fire. No traces of her were left… and all of the manikins that were once in the room were gone.

"That was… unexpected…" Toya sighed, looking down and catching his breath. "Out of everything that could have been here… a Cognitive Ann? That's definitely not what I was expecting."

"She mentioned Kamoshida, did she not? Correct me if I'm wrong, but… wasn't that the P.E. instructor who also was the first target of the Phantom Thieves?"

"Yeah. He was. As for why she brought him up, well…" Toya looked away for a moment. "...I have one idea as to what that could possibly mean."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I'm not entirely sure, but… I do have one idea as to what it could be."

"Well, what is it?"

"I think…" Toya struggled to speak for a moment, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I think that's what Ann would have been like… had the Phantom Thieves never formed."

"If they never formed… you think that's how she would have turned out?"

"The way I see it… yeah. I think that's what Ann would have been like had the Phantom Thieves never put an end to Kamoshida's ways. Sickened with the world… and unable to change it. So instead… she became a part of it."

"That's… horrible…"

"It is. But… that's probably what would have happened."

"So, if that's what Ann would have been like if the Phantom Thieves never formed… do you think this Palace is full of that? Cognitive versions of the group had the Phantom Thieves never changed the world?"

"That would make the most sense. Though… if she turned out like that… I can't imagine what everyone else is like."

"There's no way to find out without going down further."

"Yeah. I know." Toya started walking forward, as the loud sounds of the ground opening up filled the room… creating yet another staircase, down into what would presumably be the next room… with the next cognitive Phantom Thief. They were both nervous, but… they had to keep going. It was the only chance they had at getting out of the mess that they were in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna post explanations for the Cognitive Phantom Thieves as we encounter them down here, just so you can get a better understanding of how they turned out like this. Keep in mind- they're meant to be extremely exaggerated.
> 
> Cognitive Ann Takamaki
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Ann was sexually exploited by Kamoshida for the rest of her time in high school. This eventually caused her mindset to break, which led to her coming to the conclusion that all people in power are the same. No matter what, they're always going to sexualize her… so she began using it to her advantage. She had a certain control over several powerful political figures... and lived a luxurious life.


	79. Hell of Judgement (2 of 5)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Third Circle - GLUTTONY)**

Before they could even finish getting all the way down the stairs, there was a loud, seemingly… ominous sound that filled the room, before they could even see anything.

"You hear that too, right…?"

"It sounds like… chewing…"

"Yeah, but why is it so loud…?"

"It'd make sense if it was something _really_ big, but… the specifics are beyond my imagination." Akechi paused and tried to consider what could be down there… but quickly realized that he couldn't possibly explain it."

"Well… I guess there's no point in thinking about it, right?" Toya said, while slowly taking another step down. "Let's do this."

"Yeah. Right behind you." Admittedly, he was a bit hesitant, but Akechi followed regardless. And, when they got to the bottom of the staircase… they immediately saw the source of the noise. Laying down in his back… there was a massive Morgana, chewing on… the also huge pieces of sushi that had filled the room. Any form of intimidation and intensity that was in the air had completely vanished, and under different circumstances, Toya would be laughing at the sight. However… considering everything that happened today, he couldn't really do that.

"Do… do you think he notices us…?"

"I'm perfectly fine with him _not_ noticing us. Can't we just get past him?"

"I wish it were that easy. But… you know how this works. We can't get further down until we beat that thing."

"Fine, fine…" Akechi sighed, before raising the gunblade into the air, pulling the trigger twice. Two loud gunshots filled the room… which was enough to finally get Morgana's attention.

"**Hey! Can't you see a guy is trying to enjoy himself here!?" **Morgana slowly sat up and looked down at Toya and Akechi.

"Haven't you enjoyed _enough_, Morgana? You're a cat that's bigger than my house!" Akechi yelled, bringing Morgana's attention to him. "What happened to you? You went from trying to reform society to… whatever you're supposed to be now!"

"**Mission? I stopped caring about that a long time ago." **Morgana said calmly, reaching for another piece of sushi. "**Why should I worry about busting my butt alone when I can enjoy this instead…?" **His voice was… obsessive, to say the very least. He went to put the food in his mouth… but as he did, Toya quickly shot his grappling hook towards it, yanking it out of Morgana's hand and hurling it towards the ground.

"You've eaten _enough_, Morgana. Get the hell out of our way already!"

"**You…!" **In a fit of rage, a sword materialized in Morgana's hands, as he raised it up into the air. "**I won't let you do that again!"** He angrily swung his sword at Toya, specifically targeting him for what he did. But due to his size, his attacks were slow. Toya simply dodged out of the way, with Akechi jumping the other way. However, Morgana wasn't concerned about Akechi, not even in the slightest. He was only after Toya… and he made that much clear. He picked his sword back up and smashed it into the ground once more, still aiming for Toya, but just like before, he easily dodged out of the way, not even getting scratched.

"_This is my chance!_" Akechi thought to himself, as he got behind Morgana. Morgana had been ignoring him this entire time… and it gave him a perfect opportunity. He quickly dashed in with the gunblade in his hands, and shoved it straight into Morgana's back. Morgana flinched for a moment, but… ultimately, there was almost no effect whatsoever.

"**Hey… what are you doing back there?" **Morgana turned his head and saw Akechi, as he tried desperately to pull the gunblade out. "**Can't you see I'm busy dealing with your friend? Go away!" **He yelled, before using his tail to smack Akechi. With the size of Morgana's tail due to how big the rest of his body was… the impact was enough to send Akechi flying. The gunblade got pulled out of Morgana's back as Akechi was sent flying through the air, causing him to inevitably collide with the ground and roll out for a few moments. He held on to the side of his face where Morgana's tail made impact and slowly pulled himself up, as Toya zipped towards him, helping him get back on his feet.

"It's like he didn't even feel that… I stabbed straight through him!"

"He's too big. Getting stabbed by that sword to him is like getting stabbed by a toothpick to us. But…" Toya paused for a moment and thought to himself, before coming up with a strategy. "There might still be a way for us to hurt him… but it's risky. Are you in?"

"How do you come up with ideas like this on the spot…!?"

"I just do, okay!? Look, are you in or not!?"

"Yeah… I'm in. Tell me what to do." Toya began whispering something into Akechi's ear. "A-Are you insane!?"

"Yeah… probably a bit."

"Oh, NOW look who's answering rhetorical questions!"

"Just get ready! We only have one shot at this!"

"Fine, fine. I'll go." Akechi began running off, getting into place for Toya's plan.

"HEY! FATSO!" Toya yelled out, jumping in place and waving his arms around, taunting Morgana.

"**D-Don't insult me! You're powerless against me!"**

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want! Here, you want me to make up for it?" Toya looked towards the giant pieces of Sushi that were in the room. He lifted his arm up and aimed his gauntlet at it, before firing his hookshot straight towards a piece. "Here! Open wide!" He mustered up all of his strength and lifted the massive piece of sushi into the air, before hurling it straight towards Morgana's face.

"**S-Sushi…!" **Morgana's focus was completely gone as the food started flying towards his mouth. He instinctively closed his eyes and opened his mouth, as the food headed straight for him. However, as it did… he heard the sound of Toya softly chuckling to himself.

"We got some special toppings, too. Our treat for your final meal!"

"**Toppings…?" **Morgana slowly opened his eyes a bit, and then his eyes jolted open as soon as he realized what Toya was talking about. Right on top of the flying piece of sushi… was none other than Goro Akechi, gripping the gunblade tightly. Just as the sushi was about to reach Morgana's mouth… Akechi quickly jumped into the air, and lifted the blade up… before pointing it down, and diving down towards Morgana's face. Like this, he was able to stab Morgana right in his eye, causing him to scream out in anguish. Akechi pulled the sword out of his eye and jumped off of his head, landing back down on the ground next to Toya.

"I cannot believe that actually worked."

"Come on. My ideas might be crazy- but when haven't they worked?"

"They shouldn't work! It makes no sense for something as insane as that to work-"

"**You'll pay…!" **Morgana's voice was much louder than before, echoing throughout the room. Then, powerful gusts of wind came from his body, pushing both Toya and Akechi back. He held closed his injured eye and held onto it with one of his paws, while holding his other one out in front of him. "**Everything was going perfectly well… **_**everyone**_ **could have been happy here! If only…"** Morgana grit his teeth angrily while staring at Toya, before suddenly… his eyes turned pitch black, as a tarot card hovered over his paw. "**If only you had never existed in the first place!" **As he yelled, the tarot card he had flipped upside down, and turned pitch black.

"This again…!" Toya gripped his mask tightly while staring at Morgana… as he smashed the tarot card in his hands. Once he did, the gusts of wind around him got even stronger, nearly pushing both Toya and Akechi down on their backs. They were barely able to withstand the pressure… but thankfully, the pressure didn't last forever. Eventually, it faded… but once it did, and Toya and Akechi opened their eyes again… a certain feeling of dread overcame them. Not only had Morgana transformed into his Persona, Zorro… but he kept his size. He was still as big as he was before… only now, he looked infinitely more menacing. He raised his hands into the air, causing a cyclone to form underneath him, carrying him into the air.

"**You're gonna pay for EVERYTHING you did!" **Morgana yelled, as a massive rapier formed in his hands. He spun it around the air for a moment, before a cyclone formed in front of him, and quickly moved forward towards Toya and Akechi. They tried jumping out of the way, but… the cyclone slightly caught them at the last second. It sent them flying further into the air, causing them to crash down onto the floor, instead of making the smooth landing they were planning on.

"Damn… we're not gonna be able to win like this!" Akechi got up on his two feet, staring at the massive Zorro in front of him.

"He wants me…" Toya coughed, before slowly standing up, panting while gripping his mask tightly. "He's not after you. He wants to get back at _me_."

"Attacking him from behind didn't work last time though…"

"No… he's not gonna fall for that again." Toya grit his teeth, looking back at the cyclone behind him as it slowly faded away. "...Stay back. I'll handle this."

"B-By yourself!? You realize how insane that sounds, right?"

"He's not durable… he'll go down really easily. Probably even easier than Ann did. I just need one hit…" Toya gripped his mask even tighter, before suddenly running forward, staring right at Morgana.

"**You're gonna try approaching me? Works for me!" **Morgana laughed, before creating another cyclone, heading straight for Toya. However… Toya didn't stop, or turn. He just kept running forward.

"A-Are you out of your mind!? You're running right into a tornado, damn it! Do you have any idea what that could do to you-"

"DOESN'T MATTER!" Toya yelled in response, gritting his teeth before jumping right into the cyclone that Morgana had formed.

"**Hah! That idiot actually jumped right into the tornado!" **Morgana started laughing to himself, until suddenly… he heard the sound of someone yelling. "**W-What…!? But that was…" **Moments later, Toya emerged from the top of the tornado, with his mask off and a blue flame covering his face.

"DIABOLOS!" Toya yelled, summoning his Persona in front of him. Without any further warning, Diabolos's arms morphed into guns, and were forced right against against Morgana's forehead. A moment later… Diabolos fired, straight into his skull. Morgana couldn't form words… nor could he even feel anything. The wind that was carrying the two of them slowly began to fade… and their bodies fell down to the floor. However, Toya was the only one who could get up from it. Morgana, on the other hand… couldn't. Instead, his body faded away, without even a scream of pain, or anything of the sort. He just… vanished.

"You ran into a tornado… to give yourself the height to get close to him… so you could shoot him from point blank."

"Using a tornado for height worked against you, didn't it?"

"Well yeah, but that was _your_ tornado. This was _his_. That definitely makes things different."

"Yeah, it definitely hurt a bit more this time." Toya took a deep breath. It definitely hurt him a bit, but it was nothing he couldn't handle at this point. The sound of the next staircase forming echoed throughout the room. "Well, we got through. You ready for the next floor?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Akechi started following behind him, but… he found himself lost in thought as he was walking.

"_How does he do it…? How does he find the strength to keep pushing forward, regardless of what he's seen?_" Akechi put one hand in his pocket, while lifting up the gunblade. "_He even went so far as to give me his weapon. Me, when I did all of those unspeakable things. He's still willing to give me this, just so he can fight his demons…_" Akechi stopped in place, looking down. "_Could… Could I have done anything similar? No… No, I definitely couldn't do that. My demons… they scare me. I wouldn't be able to face them with the same courage he could…_"

"Akechi? You okay?"

"What? O-Oh, sorry. I'll be right there."

"...You sure nothing's wrong?"

"Yeah. Let's keep going." Toya could tell _something_ was wrong, but… Akechi wouldn't talk about it. Toya was worried, but he had to just… keep going, along with him. They made their way down to the next floor, trying to prepare themselves for whatever would come next.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Fourth Circle - GREED)**

The duo made their way down to the next circle, and immediately, they were met with… artwork. Paintings of various different styles were plastered all over the room, with golden frames keeping them in place.

"Paintings… that means that we're gonna encounter-"

"**Halt."** A surprisingly calm voice cut Toya off. He and Akechi looked towards the source… and saw Yusuke, sitting down comfortably on a throne… completely surrounded by gold. Even the robe he was wearing was made of gold. "**I don't recall anyone making an appointment to come at this time. Please leave."**

"Sorry, Yusuke. We need to get through here. We're not really interested in… whatever you have going on here. Can you just make this easy and let us go down to the next floor?"

"**Nonsense. I specifically asked you to leave. Do not force me to repeat myself." **Yusuke calmly materialized a katana in his hands, still sitting comfortably in place. His entire atmosphere was so much different than both Ann's and Morgana's. It was… almost unsettling.

"We've come too far to just back down here. Sorry, but we're not leaving the way we came." Akechi held the gunblade out in front of him as he spoke.

"**You plan on wasting my time, then. Very well." **Yusuke's tone didn't change… nor did he move. "**I shall simply wait here, then."**

"...What? You're just gonna wait for us?"

"**Indeed. You have given me no reason to waste time attacking you. I shall wait here and wait for you to give up and leave."**

"Hey… what should we do about this?" Akechi asked, looking towards Toya.

"You're the one with the sword. Let's see what he's made of."

"Alright. I'll deal with him then." Akechi turned back towards Yusuke, who hadn't moved a muscle yet. He gripped the blade tighter, before charging forward. He got in close and tried to slash directly at Yusuke, but in one movement, Yusuke blocked the attack, his facial expression not changing at all. Akechi grit his teeth and started swinging the blade faster, trying to land any kind of a hit on Yusuke. However, it didn't work at all. With a calm expression, Yusuke easily blocked every single attack.

"**Give up. You cannot win like this." **

"You little…!" Akechi jumped back, pointing the gunblade towards him. "Then try deflecting THIS!" He yelled, before pulling the trigger. But… Yusuke's focus was perfect. Without struggling, Yusuke blocked every single bullet.

"**Have you realized the futility of your actions yet?" **

"You damn…"

"**Yield. A frenzied mind can never overcome a calm one. You're lightyears behind me." **Akechi grit his teeth, before raising the blade up again.

"A calm mind is superior, you say?" Toya's voice overpowered Akechi's thoughts, as he turned back to him. He had a hand on his mask, and a smirk on his face. "Then all we need to do is break that focus of yours."

"**Break my focus? Surely you don't think that's possible. Even if you both came at me at the same time, you could never hope to overcome me."**

"I don't need to come at you to overcome you, Yusuke. I just need to do this." Toya took off his mask and summoned his Persona. He charged up a blast of dark magic, but… instead of firing it at Yusuke, he turned towards the wall. He fired the blast… directly at one of the paintings on the wall. Yusuke's eyes widened as the painting was… eradicated, within a moment.

"**You… What is the meaning of this!?"**

"What? It's just a painting. And, judging by that style…" Toya's face got serious, as he stared right at Yusuke. "That wasn't even _your_ work, was it?"

"**W-What…!?"**

"Admit it. Just like Madarame… you've been plagiarizing. In fact, everything in here… none of it is yours, is it?"

"**And what would **_**you**_ **know about it!?"**

"Oh, I know a lot about it. Especially Madarame. And, speaking of… do you know how the Sayuri was created?"

"**The Sayuri… that was Madarame's greatest work! Of course I know!"**

"Clearly you don't. It's evident by the fact that you called it Madarame's work."

"**Th-That one wasn't plaigarized at all!"**

"Oh, but it was! Madarame saw the artwork… and he was entranced by it. He thought it was beautiful! But… then something happened. The artist who drew it… she had a stroke, right in front of him. And, instead of helping her… he let her die, right there. And then, he took credit for the creation."

"**Liar… You're just lying! Madarame is nothing like that!"**

"Oh, please. You haven't even heard the worst part yet."

"**The worst…?"**

"When the artist died… Madarame took in her only son, to cover up for the fact that he was partly responsible for her death. And, the boy he took in…" Toya chuckled to himself, pointing directly at Yusuke. "Grew up and took after him. He started plagiarizing work for his own personal gain. Just. Like. Him." Yusuke's eyes widened for a moment, as he tried processing this. "That sounds awfully familiar… it's almost as if I know the guy personally."

"**You… insufferable…!" **Yusuke gave in to his anger, and completely disregarded Akechi. He instead charged towards Toya… with a frenzied look in his eyes, gripping his sword tightly.

"NOW, Akechi!" Toya yelled out to Akechi. Akechi quickly lifted the gunblade into the air, taking aim at Yusuke… and shooting him, right in the back. Yusuke let out a gasp and fell down to the ground.

"**This is nothing…!"**

"Tough talk from a frenzied mind." Toya said, summoning his Persona behind him. Yusuke tried to pick himself up to attack again, but he was immediately met with a powerful blast of dark magic, sending him flying back towards his throne. Akechi made his way back towards Toya side.

"A frenzied mind…? Is that actually how it works?"

"Well, maybe a little. It worked against him, at the very least."

"I think anyone would let their guard down after everything you just said."

"Yeah… probably. I didn't _want_ to, it just kinda… worked."

"Good enough for me." Akechi sighed, before walking forward. "We should get going."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. If this is anything like the last two, then…" Toya stopped speaking, as suddenly, the air around him and Akechi got… cold. Freezing, almost. They looked back towards Yusuke, as he slowly stood up, with black ice in front of him.

"**I… shall not stand… for such mockery…!"**

"I hate being right sometimes." Toya grabbed his mask once more while looking towards Yusuke, as a tarot card formed in his hands.

"**Mocking me… Mocking my Sensei… and even coming up with a lie on how my mother passed away!?" **The tarot card hovering above Yusuke's hand slowly flipped upside down and dark. "**You will pay… I swear on my mother's grave, you will PAY!" **He smashed the tarot card, and an incredible wave of air pressure was sent out, pushing Toya and Akechi back. When the air pressure began to fade… they looked up, and not only did they see the darkened version of Kamu Susano-o… they also saw a wall of black ice, right in front of him. Additionally, there were… 2 paintings beside Yusuke now… and they were painting of Toya and Akechi respectively.

"What the hell… you drew us…?" Toya couldn't really understand why he would do that… he was more confused than he had been in a while.

"**You shall pay. **_**This **_**is how!" **Yusuke took his blade to the painting, slicing at one of Toya's legs. And, when he did… Toya felt the pain of it, and fell down to one knee. He then did the same thing to Akechi… and when he did, Akechi felt it too.

"He… he's hurting us… by attacking paintings!?" Akechi grunted in pain while trying to pick himself up, but Yusuke wasn't going to let that happen. He began slicing at both of them, letting them feel the full force of his blade.

"**You shall not die. Instead, you will suffer permanently. Both of you are sentenced to a lifetime of this… and there's no way you can stop it!" **Yusuke began laughing to himself. "**My paintings are perfect. You cannot stand up to them as long as they remain this way!"**

"P-Perfect, huh…?" Toya reached into his pocket and grit his teeth, taking deep breaths. "Then all I have to do… is this…!" Toya mustered up as much strength as he could and pulled his bandana out of his pocket, as he began tying it around his neck.

"W-What the hell are you gonna accomplish like that…!?"

"If I just have this on… then his paintings…" Toya finished tying it around him… and with it covering half of his face, Yusuke's drawing had become… inaccurate. And, once it did… Toya couldn't feel the pain anymore.

"**W-What…!? This… this is absurd!" **Yusuke began panicking, before trying to calm himself down. "**W-Well even still… all I need to do is paint a bandana over you! Surely… surely that will fix things!" **Yusuke said, while pulling out a paintbrush, and trying desperately to paint a bandana on Toya's portrait. While his back was turned, Toya ran forward with one hand on his mask.

"DIABOLOS!" Toya yelled, as he summoned his Persona. He used Diabolos to break down the wall of ice that was covering Yusuke, and when it did, Yusuke took another look at his painting… and began panicking again.

"**W...why…!? Why can't I draw a simple bandana…!?" **Yusuke cried, before suddenly, Diabolos had grabbed on to his face, forcing him to look directly at Toya.

"Don't you get it? You got your riches by plagiarizing people… You threw away any talent you once had for money!" Toya yelled angrily, before using Diabolos to fire a blast of dark magic directly at him, while still holding him by his face. The direct attack… it was far too much for Yusuke to handle. He faded away as the blast hit him… and once he did, every painting that was on the walls vanished as well, including the portraits of Toya and Akechi.

"That was quick thinking…"

"It was adrenaline. To be honest… I didn't really think it would work."

"What would you have done if he was able to draw the bandana properly?"

"I was just gonna take it off. There's no way he'd be able to draw half of my face before I got to him."

"...Fair point. How do you come up with these strategies, again?"

"I don't know. I'm just creative, I guess."

"Well, watching you has been… interesting. Perhaps I can do something similar next time."

"I'd love to see something like that." Toya softly chuckled to himself, before turning around and hearing the next staircase being formed. "Come on. Let's see you think of something."

"I'll surpass whatever lofty expectations you have of me, then."

"We'll see about that! I'm expecting a lot from you."

"I'll be sure not to disappoint you, then." Akechi felt oddly... pleased, knowing someone had high expectations of him. It was a feeling he couldn't really describe all too well... but he liked it. It made him feel better about himself, at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cognitive Morgana
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Morgana tried taking matters into his own hands. However… eventually, the pleasantries of life got the better of him, and he began to overindulge in the things that brought him joy, completely discarding his original purpose.
> 
> Cognitive Yusuke Kitagawa
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Yusuke was unable to stop Madarame's plagiarism. As a result… his view on the art world became twisted. He realized that he needed to perform unspeakable acts to avoid becoming a starving artist… even if that meant murdering someone to steal their artwork. As long as it gave him wealth... it was worth it, no matter how egregious it was.


	80. Hell of Judgement (3 of 5)

December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)

Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Fifth Circle - ANGER)

They made their way down the next staircase, and the next floor that they found themselves on was… interesting, to say the very least. It was… fairly barren, actually. No manikins, no food, and no paintings. The fact that it was so empty was… unsettling, to say the very least. They weren't aware of this yet, but the two of them were almost halfway through the hellish landscape of Toya's mind. They had already encountered things they never imagined that they would see in their lives… and it was incredibly unsettling for them. However, they both knew that they had to go onward. On top of that, Akechi felt as if he had something to prove now. Toya was expecting things of him now… and in a strange way, that… excited him. The last person who had actual expectations of him that was relevant to his life whatsoever was Shido, and that was… less than favorable. But this… this was different. This time, things felt… genuine. It felt like Toya was genuinely relying on him, and that… that soothed a part of his soul, one that he had completely forgotten about. It gave him the strength he needed to continue on. But even with that… he wasn't still fully at ease. There was a skeptical part of him that still considered the possibility that Toya was just… using him. Using him to just get through his darkness… and then just cast him aside. However, he tried his hardest to dismiss these thoughts… because as much as he wanted to be useful, he also wanted to feel respected. As if he was human… not just some puppet.

"Are you sure you're okay, dude?"

"H-Huh?"

"You've been lost in thought a couple times now since we've gotten here. Is something wrong?"

"...No. Everything is fine. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's fine… just make sure you're staying focused, alright? This place is dangerous. You have to be cautious, in case something sneaks-" Toya stopped speaking, as he heard the sound of… running. Something was coming, and it was headed right towards them. "GET DOWN!" He yelled, while practically jumping onto Akechi, getting both of them down on the ground. Not even two seconds later, someone had recklessly charged through where the two of them had been originally standing.

"T-Thanks…"

"Remember what I said about staying focused?" Toya slowly got up and held his hand out, helping Akechi get back up on his feet. The two of them looked towards the figure that tried attacking them earlier… and just from the back, they were able to tell exactly who it was.

"Who the hell told you that you're allowed to dodge out of the way!?" He yelled, before turning around, giving Toya and Akechi an angry glare. Just as the two of them thought… here he was. Toya's Cognitive version of Ryuji Sakamoto himself. However, out of everything they expected from him… he had a few physical features that the two of them weren't expecting. He had a black eye, and multiple cuts all over his cheeks… and one of his sleeves had been torn off. With the arm that was fully revealed, he was holding a baseball bat… colored yellow, but stained red towards the top half of it… they could imagine what that was from. "Hey, wait a minute…" Ryuji took a closer look at the two of them, and then look specifically at Akechi, showing off a sinister grin. "Yeah, you…! You definitely got some money on you!" His grin got bigger and seemingly more sadistic as he hit his bat against the floor. "C'mon! Fork it all over, will ya!?"

"So Ryuji is… a thug. This is probably the only time I won't be surprised here."

"Toya, I want you to let me handle this one on my own." Akechi said, slowly walking forward.

"Y-You want to fight him alone? Without even having a Persona?"

"I told you that I'd surpass whatever expectations of me you had, did I not?"

"You can accomplish that without going into a suicide mission, you know."

"Suicide mission? Nonsense. I feel as if I won't run into many issues at all."

"You're out of your mind…" Toya sighed, before taking a step back. "Fine, fine. Just don't get yourself killed, alright?"

"Like I could ever have trouble dealing with someone as brash as him." Akechi stepped forward, gripping the gunblade tightly and pointing it towards me.

"Not even gonna run!? Boooring!" Ryuji smashed his bat against the ground once more, before giving Akechi another sinister grin. "Well, whatever. I'll nab whatever you got in those fancy pockets of yours, an' then your friend is next!"

"If you want something from me, you'll have to take it from my dead body."

"THAT'S the fun part!" Ryuji yelled out, before charging forward, gripping his bat tightly. He reeled it back behind him before jumping up into the air, swinging directly for Akechi's head. Akechi quickly lifted the blade up, colliding with Ryuji's bat. The sound of the two weapons colliding rang throughout the room, as Toya quickly jumped away to avoid being collateral damage. "C'mon! You got a sword, don't'cha!? You can do better than that!" Ryuji yelled out as he pushed harder against Akechi, but… Akechi noticed something.

"His bat…" He thought to himself, pushing harder against him. "It's dense, but… I can break through. I just need to apply more pressure…" Akechi suddenly pulled the blade back and jumped away, pretending to be intimidated. "He'll know something is up if I fight back so much. I need to make him think he's stronger than I am."

"HEY! You're not getting away from me that easily, damn it!" Ryuji yelled, as he ran forward again, trying to swing at Akechi. Just like before, Akechi blocked his attack with the blade, as the two weapons collided with each other at the same spot. Ryuji didn't even notice yet… but Akechi was progressively cutting deeper and deeper into his bat.

"This is gonna take forever at this rate… I need to find a way to speed this up… maybe if I could provoke him? Or, better yet… maybe if he was just pissed off..." Akechi thought to himself, before looking down. Ryuji always had a bad leg… Akechi felt like an asshole for even thinking of this, but it was a good idea nonetheless. He quickly raised one leg into the air, and kicked Ryuji right in his bad leg, causing him to wince in pain, and overall lower the amount of force he was using. This allowed Akechi to get eve closer to breaking Ryuji's bat apart… but it wasn't done yet.

"You… piece of shit…!"

"What's wrong? Are you gonna sit there and lose to the guy you were so insistent on robbing just a minute ago!?" Akechi began taunting Ryuji while jumping away, and just like he expected… it pissed him off, even more than Akechi intended.

"I'LL BASH YOUR DAMN BRAINS IN!" He roared, while relentlessly charging towards Akechi one more time. He still hadn't changed his attack pattern in the slightest… his mind was too clouded by his anger. Their weapons collided one last time, and Ryuji was pushing harder than ever… for some reason, he thought this would benefit him… but he was very, very mistaken. Akechi aligned the weapons perfectly… and by striking the exact same spot as he had been, he was able to cut straight through Ryuji's bat, splitting it into 2 seperate pieces. Ryuji was completely shocked by this… and while his guard was down, Akechi took full advantage. He uses the opportunity to land 2 swift slashes… and then stabbed Ryuji right through his chest. Black mist spilled out of Ryuji's body as Akechi pulled the blade out, but he wasn't done yet. Akechi jumped away, keeping his eyes on Ryuji and aiming at his chest… before pulling the trigger in the gunblade and firing. The shot to his chest was more than enough to knock Ryuji down on his back, coughing uncontrollably, with a broken bat in his hands.

"Not bad." Toya said, slowly walking back towards Akechi. "Breaking his weapon so he had no way to fight back… pretty smart."

"I still feel a bit bad about kicking him in his bad leg…"

"Don't feel bad. I mean, I did the same to the real Ryuji, so…"

"You did what!?"

"Not my fault he ambushed me! He was genuinely gonna try to kill me!" Toya started defending himself, but… then, the sound of thunder overpowered his voice. The two of them turned towards Ryuji… and saw that he was standing up again… and he had a tarot card hovering above his hand.

"My work isn't done yet, I suppose.

"Don't tell me you still plan on fighting him alone!"

"What's the worst that can happen? I just have to be better than him. Even without a Persona, I can manage that."

"You really are a maniac…" Toya sighed, before taking off his gauntlet- the same one that had a hookshot. "At least take this then." He said, handing the gauntlet to Akechi. He quickly put it on, getting a feel for it. He pointed it towards the ground, and… almost naturally, as he thought of firing it, it shot straight to the ground.

"Okay, how does THAT work!?"

"Don't overthink it, dude."

"But it doesn't make any se-" Akechi was cut off as the sound of glass shattering rang out, as another bolt of lightning came down from the sky, sending a wave of air pressure out towards all of them. Once the pressure faded… Cognitive Ryuji revealed his true form, a darkened version of his Persona, Seiten Taisai, holding a massive red stick..

"You're NOT making a fool outta me, damn it! I'LL RIP YOU APART!" Ryuji yelled, before raising his stick into the air, and slamming it against the ground. At first, Akechi thought this was meant to intimidate him, but… then, a few seconds later… a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, striking down exactly where Ryuji's stick had hit the ground.

"He can summon lightning like that!?" Akechi grit his teeth as he and Toya separated once more, looking towards Ryuji. "Even with a grappling hook, there's no way I can close the distance fast enough to punish him for missing… so how can I win…!?" Akechi thought to himself, but as he was thinking, Ryuji charged straight towards him. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to block the attack without getting zapped, Akechi had to use the hookshot to zip away from the attack, just barely getting out of the way. He looked back towards Ryuji, and then… he noticed something. After Ryuji smacked his stick against the ground, he quickly pulled away to avoid the lightning bolt that came down from the sky. "That's it…!" Akechi pressed his body against the wall that he shot the hookshot into, and stared at Ryuji. He prepared himself… before kicking himself off of the wall, aiming for the ground just in front of Ryuji, and firing.

"Heh. So you finally give up." Ryuji laughed to himself, before raising his stick up into the air once more, laughing to himself. "Not that I'm gonna complain! TAKE THIS!" He yelled out as he tried timing his attack… waiting for the proper moment, before beginning to swing his stick down towards the ground.

"Now!" Akechi saw his opportunity and yanked the grappling hook out of the ground, slowing down his moment just enough for him to take aim once more. All in one motion, he aimed for the ground that was next to Ryuji, just barely behind him, and fired once more. He zipped right past Ryuji's attack and landed right behind him, looking back towards him.

"W-What the!?" Ryuji turned back towards Akechi, but it was too late. Akechi charged forward and pushed Ryuji back, right into where he had smashed his stick into the ground. A moment later… a lightning bolt began falling down from the sky. He tried getting out of the way, but there was no chance he could move faster than lightning. The lightning bolt fell down on him, sending shocks throughout his entire body. Akechi took aim at Ryuji's head, and then to finish the job… he fired, sending a bullet straight through Ryuji's head. The attack was more than enough to finish him off, causing him to fade away into a black mist, just like everyone else did.

"You definitely stole that idea from me." Toya said, walking up towards Akechi.

"Well, I am using your sword. And your grappling hook." Akechi took off the gauntlet, handing it back to Toya.

"Fair point. Still… it took guts to do that." Toya closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "You did a good job, Akechi." He said, putting the gauntlet back on.

"Have I surpassed those expectations of yours, then?"

"Let's get back to the real world, then we'll talk about how you did."

"That sounds like a yes to me."

"Come on. Cognition or not, it's still Ryuji. I don't think either me or Osiris could think of Ryuji as someone with a brain if we tried." Toya and Akechi looked at each other for a moment, in silence… before starting to laugh. The laugh slowly escalated, until they could hear the sound of the next staircase forming. They made their way towards the next floor, with their spirits surprisingly high.

December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)

Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Sixth Circle - HERESY)

Once Toya and Akechi made their way down to the sixth circle, they could instantly realize what was going on. There were countless robots without faces running around, as if they were… taking orders from someone. They were all reading off of sheets of paper and frantically running around.

"Kinda reminds me of where we saw Ann…" Toya said, looking around.

"It's a bit different. They looked like they were worshipping someone… but now, the way that they're running around makes them look… scared, in a way."

"You think they're running around like this because they have to?"

"Considering how they look… it's quite possible. Though, I wonder… are they scared of who I think-"

"Halt!"

"Yep. It's definitely the cognitive Phantom Thief waiting for us." Akechi took a soft sigh, as he and Toya looked towards the source of the voice. It was a woman in a suit, walking towards them and stopping, staring at the two of them.

"And what are you two doing?" Haru Okumura… or at least, a cognitive version of her. "Don't you know better than to slack off on your jobs?"

"Jobs? We're definitely not your workers-"

"Silence!" Haru yelled out, overpowering Toya's voice. "Get back to work. Now." Her voice was… much more stern than either of them were used to. It was concerning, in a way.

"Like he was saying. Neither of us work for you." Akechi said, holding his ground.

"Ugh… such a waste of time. Fine." Haru raised one hand into the air and snapped her fingers, taking a step away. "Workers! Either convince them to get back to their work… or kill them. Whichever is quicker."

"Yes, ma'am!" The workers all yelled out, as they all stopped what they were doing. They all turned towards Toya and Akechi, before charging towards them. They were completely surrounded, as the workers came from all sides.

"I've got this side, you go for the rest!" Akechi yelled out, while charging towards one side of the room, where a swarm of Haru's workers were coming from. Gripping the blade in his hands as tightly as he could, he rushed in to one of them, stabbing it directly in its chest. However, just as he stabbed it, the rest of the workers all sped up, closing in on him. He grit his teeth before quickly pulling the blade out of the worker he had already impaled, causing it to fall down onto the floor.

"No time for that… I need to be quick about how I take these things down!" Akechi thought to himself, before lifting the blade up into the air and taking aim at some of the workers that were to his left. He quickly made precision shots to their heads, knocking them down to the ground to give himself more room to maneuver around. He created some distance, and looked back at the remaining workers. He had taken down about half of them, but… there was still a lot more to take care of, and he was struggling to figure out how he'd deal with them all.

"Diabolos!" Toya yelled out as he ripped off his mask, conjuring a blast of dark magic and firing it at the workers that were starting to corner Akechi, dispatching of enough of them for Akechi to handle himself.

"Was that…!?" Haru gave a surprised expression, before clenching her fist and gritting her teeth. "Stop slacking off! Earn the money you make and take care of them already!" Haru yelled out to her workers, as suddenly… a couple of them ran off in unison, as if they were going to get something. However, neither Toya or Akechi could focus on that, because the rest of them were all suddenly getting more aggressive. Toya focused in on one group of workers that were charging after him, aiming his hookshot at one of their heads and zipping towards it. Using his other gauntlet, he punched right through its head, smashing it into multiple little pieces. As he did, the rest of the workers started closing in on him, but he was prepared. He unmasked once more, summoning Diabolos and blasting all of them away, pushing them all against the wall of the room. They exploded as their bodies hit the wall, leaving no traces of them left. He looked back to Akechi, who had finished up with his half of the room now that he had more room to hold his ground in.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the help." Akechi took a deep breath, regaining his composure. However, he then looked over at the Cognitive Haru… and his expression showed terror. "I-Is that…!?" Toya looked over, and saw the two workers that had run off earlier… only they weren't running away anymore. Instead, they had brought something… it was a grenade launcher- just like the one Haru used in the Metaverse, and they were handing it over to her.

"This. Ends. Now!" Haru yelled, while ripping the grenade launcher out of the robotic worker's hands, aiming it at the two of them. Toya grit his teeth and looked behind him… and saw the body of one of the robotic workers that Akechi dealt with. He fired his hookshot towards its head and ripped it off, yanking it to his hand. He looked back at Haru as she fired the grenade launcher… and threw the decapitated robot head right at it. They collided midair, and created a massive explosion that began pushing everyone back. The sound of coughing filled the room as a cloud of smoke engulfed the room, until it slowly began to dissipate.

"Talk about overkill…" Toya said, coughing a bit more. He looked back towards Cognitive Haru, who had a look of disbelief on her face.

"...So it really is you." She said, holding one hand out in front of her. "Toya…"

"Wait, what…?" Toya's felt his hair stand up straight on the back of his neck as he heard Haru spoke. "Y-You recognize me…?"

"Of course I do. How I could I forget you… especially after what you did?" There was a strong sense of malice in her voice, especially towards the end of the sentence.

"What are you talking about…?"

"Please. Don't pretend like you forget what you did!" Suddenly, a tarot card materialized above the hand that she had held out in front of her. "You told us to trust you… with one small task… and you had the audacity to screw it up and disappear on us!?"

"Haru, what are you talking about!? I have no idea what-"

"ENOUGH!" The tarot card quickly flipped upside down, and she crushed it in her hand. As she did, a massive wave air pressure was unleashed, pushing both Toya and Akechi back. When it finished… just like with everyone else, Haru has transformed into her Persona, Astarte. "Everyone thought you were DEAD! But here you are- and you're with HIM, of all people!? The NERVE of you!" Haru extended her two hands out, sending out a wave of psychokinetic energy- except it wasn't aimed at Toya or Akechi directly. Instead, she aimed it the robotic workers that hadn't been smashed into hundreds of little pieces, lifting them up into the air. She then quickly crossed her arms together, as the bodies of the workers quickly flew towards Toya and Akechi. Toya was able to react fast enough and protect himself from the attack with the use of Diabolos, but Akechi couldn't do the same- not with only a sword. It crashed into his body, knocking him down to the ground.

"Akechi!" Toya called out, getting in front of him and helping him get back up on his feet.

"What are you trying to accomplish!?" Akechi yelled out, looking at Haru. "What's with this nonsense about knowing who we are? What are you even talking about?"

"Don't pretend like YOU don't know. Of all people, you should know more than ANYONE!" She screamed in response, as she held both of her hands out in the direction of Toya and Akechi. When she did, a powerful headache overcame them. Causing them to fall down to their knees in agonizing pain.

"W-What the hell... !?" Toya said through his teeth, trying to stand up, but he couldn't. Akechi couldn't either- the pain was unbearable. "H-Haru… Stop…!"

"Stop? No. This is the only way I can deal with the fact that I see you here in front of me." She spoke, in a much more calm and collected tone than before. "I'll turn you both into mindless, faceless drones. Then, your names and faces will both disappear… forever!"

"Why are you doing this…!?"

"Just stop it. Resistance is futile. Look, even your new friend realizes that." She said, chuckling to herself. Toya turned his head and looked towards Akechi… and he didn't even look like he was struggling anymore. His hair was covering his eyes, and his expression was just… blank.

"A-Akechi…!? Hey, snap out of it!"

"It's too late. He's already submitted himself to me." Haru lowered one of her hands down, while staring at Akechi. "Come now, Akechi. Walk over to me." Akechi didn't respond. He slowly stood up on his two feet and started walking over towards her, dragging the gunblade across the floor. "You should just give up. Look at how easy it is for him now that he's submitted to me. Isn't that right, my puppet?" No answer. Akechi's eyes were still blocked as he stood still in front of Haru, not even facing her. "I asked you a question."

"I'm not the same person I once was, Haru." He said, as he slowly raised his head, looking towards her. "I wish I could have shown you that." His tone was calm, and full of… regret. But that calm tone quickly went away as he suddenly moved behind Haru and jumped into the air. She didn't even get a chance to react to what Akechi was saying- he was moving too fast for her to process. She tried to turn around and stop him from doing anything, but… she was too late. In one fell swoop, Akechi stabbed straight through her body, the blade piercing straight through her… and the one attack was more than enough. She let out a gasp of disbelief… before fading away into nothingness. "I… will never let anyone call me a puppet again." He said to himself, as he slowly walked towards Toya.

"You damn…" Toya slowly picked himself up, looking at him. "You had me tricked too, asshole!"

"Aw, is that concern I hear in your voice? I'm flattered."

"Shut up!" Akechi laughed in response to Toya.

"Sorry, sorry. Here. I owe you one favor for that. Anything you want." Akechi said, but… when he did, Toya's expression… darkened, as he looked down. "...Toya?"

"...I know what I'll ask for, then." Toya began walking forward, as the next staircase slowly formed.

"Huh? Well- what is it?"

"...I'll tell you later. Let's keep going." He said, walking towards the staircase. Something was off… this wasn't him being upset at Akechi for what he did. This was something else… and Toya could tell. He was thinking of something else entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cognitive Ryuji Sakamoto
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Ryuji suffered from more and more abuse from Kamoshida, until he tried rebelling against him once again, with two friends by his side… however, this only lead to all three of them being suspended. After this suspension, he never came to school again… and instead, went down a dark path. With everything he wanted taken away from him, he grew a hatred for the world around him, and continually took his anger out on the ones around him, just to try and make himself feel better.
> 
> You're probably expecting to see an explanation of Cognitive Haru Okumura here. Well, no, not yet. Let's just say that... it'll make more sense to explain it at the end of Chapter 82 instead. You'll understand whenever that gets posted.


	81. Hell of Judgement (4 of 5)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Seventh Circle - VIOLENCE)**

When Toya and Akechi got down to the next circle, immediately, they saw one thing in the room that was… concerning. In the center of the room, coming down from the ceiling, there were… chains, coming straight down. And they came down towards one person, but… the chains weren't connected to him. They were just… around him. It looked like the chains were never connected to him in the first place.

"**Don't tell me there are **_**more**_ **people coming after me. Don't you guys ever learn?" **Both Toya and Akechi could recognize that voice anywhere. Walking forward from behind the chains, came the man who they had known for being the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts… Akira Kurusu. To their surprise, he was actually wearing his usual Metaverse attire… he even had his mask on. "**You finally found me, after all this time. Great job, great job!" **Akira started applauding the two of them, leaving them… confused, to say the very least. "**Too bad I can never let you two leave. I'm sure people would've been so proud… knowing that you finally managed to find me."**

"Calm down. We just want to get by. Why don't you go back to doing whatever you were doing before we got here, and just let us be on our way? We have no interest in fighting you." Akechi said, stepping forward.

"**No, that's not how this works." **Akira started walking up, cracking his knuckles and pulling on his gloves. "**Like I said- I can't just let you leave here alive. I wouldn't want anyone ratting out my hiding spot."**

"And what makes you think you can stop us? There's two of us, and only one of you. You really think you can handle both of us?" Toya said, now walking forward with his hand on his mask. He had accepted that they'd be forced to fight… even though neither of them wanted to.

"**Only one of me? Oh… you guys **_**really **_**don't learn your lesson, huh?" **He said, laughing to himself for a moment, before raising one hand into the air and snapping his fingers. When he did, the sound of a loud, mechanical whirring could be heard from above… and a green spotlight came down from the sky, as something began coming closer to the ground, from the sky.

"D-Don't tell me that's…!" Akechi took a step back while staring up at the sky… but he knew exactly what it was. Hovering above the Cognitive Akira's head was a green UFO… or as they knew it, the Persona of Futaba Sakura. Just as they expected, a cognitive version of her poked her head out from the top, staring down at the two of them with a grin on her face.

"Futaba…!?" Toya grit his teeth while looking towards her, then back down at the Cognitive Akira. "What the hell is this!?"

"**You didn't **_**really**_ **think I worked alone this entire time, did you?" **Akira chuckled to himself, before pulling a gun out of his pocket. "**Doing things like this is **_**way**_ **more satisfying!" **He yelled, before taking aim at Akechi and pulling the trigger, aiming right for his head. Akechi quickly raised the blade in his hands to block the bullets from ever hitting him. Toya took the opportunity to aim his hookshot at Akira and fire, but… when he did, a green barrier surrounded him, completely deflecting the hookshot and sending it right back.

"**Sorry! I can't just let you win so easily, right? That'd be so boring!" **A voice yelled out from the UFO. She hadn't revealed herself, and she probably never would, but… they knew Futaba's voice when they heard it.

"It's no use. We'll never be able to get to him unless we deal with her first." Akechi said, looking over to Toya. "You can get up to her and deal with her, right?"

"D-Deal with her?" Toya paused for a moment. He took a look at his gauntlet, then to the UFO. Then, he got… flashbacks. Specifically, flashbacks to Okumura's Palace… when he gave in to his anger- when he nearly _killed _her.

"It's just cognition, Toya. That's not the real Futaba."

"...Yeah. You're right. Just… cognition." Toya looked back to Akira. "You're gonna need to keep him occupied. I can deal with Ftuaba, but not if he's taking shots at me the entire time."

"Don't worry. I'll handle him." Akechi locked eyes with Akira, then charged towards him, gripping the gunblade tightly.

"**You really think you have a chance? You're just wasting your time!" **Akira yelled out, trying to aim at Akechi and fire- but Akechi was quicker than he had anticipated. He wouldn't have time to aim and get a clean shot off on him, so he opted for another strategy instead. He put his gun away and took out a knife, staring at Akechi and then charging towards him. Despite how much more range Akechi had, Akira was much more experienced with his knife than Akechi was with the gunblade. Despite how much fighting he had done today, Akechi still didn't even have a full day's worth of experience with it. Regardless, he still ran forward, determined to hold up his end of the plan.

Meanwhile, Toya was getting ready to repeat the action that had haunted him for months… even though he didn't want to.

"_**And just like I thought… you're hesitating.**_" Toya suddenly heard Osiris's voice in his head, taunting him.

"_W-What…!?_"

"_**Admit it. You haven't really trusted yourself ever since the first time you did this, right?**_"

"_Shut up…_"

"_**You got through it last time with my help, didn't you? You let me fog your mind, and then it was so easy for you…**_"

"_Shut up!_"

"_**Do you remember the sound she made? That gasp of shock and pain, as you shoved the sword that belonged to her friend straight through her chest?**_" Toya paused for a moment, as his mind flashed back to that day again. "_**What about when everything was said and done, and you looked at her limp body? Do you remember how you felt when you saw her near-lifeless body, gasping for air?**_"

"_Stop…_"

"_**Admit it. Part of you liked what you saw, right? You were proud of what you did. Letting go of your restraints and throwing that half-assed sense of judgement out the window… that's the real you, isn't it?**_"

"_I..._" Toya took a deep breath. He looked at Akechi, fighting against Akira… he was clearly struggling. He hadn't taken a hit yet- but it was inevitable at this point. Akira was putting so much pressure on him- Akechi could barely keep up. Not only that, but Futaba was buffing Akira up at every chance she got.

"_**Well? Are you just gonna let him die? Or… are you gonna give in?**_" Toya heard Osiris let out a loud, echoing laughter throughout his head. "_**I have no problem repeat that same act of violence. If you're gonna be such a coward…**_" Toya clenched his fist tightly, looking up at the UFO once again.

"_I'll NEVER give in to you!_" Pushing his fears aside, Toya aimed towards the UFO in the sky and fired his hookshot straight at it. He quickly got on top of it- and Akira noticed that.

"**Oracle!" **He disregarded Akechi completely, running past him and looking up to the UFO.

"**H-Hey! Get off!" **Futaba cried out, in fear. Toya stared down at her… he didn't like this, but he knew exactly what he had to do.

"**Get the hell away from her!" **Akira pulled out a grappling hook and fired it up towards Toya, trying to get him off. However, Toya knew he couldn't afford to fail now. He looked back towards Akira as he made his way up to the UFO, and just before he got on, he kicked him right in his head, knocking him back down to the ground.

"Diabolos." He said calmly, turning back around towards Futaba as he slowly took off his mask. "Do it." He closed his eyes as he commanded his Persona.

"**J-Joker! Help! He's gonna-" **Before she could finish speaking, she was blasted with dark magic, causing a massive explosion. Toya quickly jumped off of the UFO as it crash landed, landing on the ground next to Akechi. Akira ran past the two of them, heading straight for the UFO. He tried reaching for the Cognitive Futaba, but as soon as he did… she faded away, into a black mist.

"**Oracle…!"**

"They're calling each other by their code names… I wonder why..." Akechi said, trying to think to himself. He then looked towards Toya, who had… a stern look on his face.

"You're next." Toya said, walking towards Akira. "Give up and leave if you don't want to end up like her." Akechi couldn't believe what he was hearing… the was Toya was talking was concerning- he knew _something _was wrong, but… this is far beyond anything he was expecting.

"**That was my partner…" **Akira said, as he stood up, glaring at Toya. "**You… You're not like the rest. Behind that calm, collected demeanor… there's a bloodthirsty psychopath."**

"You wanna test that theory?"

"**...You wanna see blood? I'll show you blood…" **Akira held his hand out… as a tarot card appeared in his hand, quickly flipping upside down and turning black, along with his eyes. "**I'LL TEAR YOU APART AND BATHE YOU IN YOUR OWN!" **He yelled out, before breaking the tarot card in his hands. When he did, the chains that were coming down from above surrounded him, and a massive wave of air pressure was sent out- far bigger than anything they had experienced beforehand… exponentially bigger.

"I might've pissed him off a bit more than intended…"

"Yeah, you think!?" Akechi rebutted, gritting his teeth and staring at the chains that had surrounded Akira… before suddenly, they started breaking apart. They fell down to the ground, and revealed… a pair of black wings that had surrounded where Akira originally was. Then, the wings separated, and revealed Akira… taking the form of his main Persona, Arsene. He was staring straight at Toya… before suddenly, he charged up a blast of dark energy, and fired it straight at him.

"Diabolos!" Toya yelled out to his Persona, but before he could get a hit off, Akira's magic hit him head on, shoving him back. Due to the fact that it was dark magic, he was able to take the hit… but it still hurt. Akechi looked back at Toya, then gripped the gunblade tightly, before aiming it straight at Akira, pulling the trigger and taking shots at him. However, Akira had surrounded his body with his wings once more, which acted like a shield that perfectly defended him. Once Akechi stopped shooting, Akira's wings spread out once more.

"**It'd be pretty easy to just tear you apart…" **He said, glaring at Toya as he picked himself up. "**But no. You deserve to suffer first. You'll suffer the same way I did…" **Akira chuckled to himself, before conjuring another blast of dark magic, and firing it… but he didn't aim for Toya. Instead, he fired it straight at Akechi. Due to the fact that he didn't have a Persona to defend himself with, the blast hit him head on, pushing him far back- much further back than Toya.

"AKECHI!" Toya yelled out, looking back to Akira. "What the hell is with you!?"

"**You had no issue harming my partner when she was defenseless. Why should I have **_**any**_ **problem doing the same to yours?" **

"You little…!" Toya clenched his fists tightly, feeling his anger beginning to cloud his mind.

"Don't let him get to you!" Akechi yelled out to Toya, breaking his slight trance. "This is all Osiris trying to get in your head! Don't you get it!? He created these trials _just_ to mess with you! You can't let him win!"

"_He's right…_" Toya thought to himself, gritting his teeth and gripping his mask. "_But, even still… I can't afford to hold back. Akechi can't defend himself against this… not without a Persona. I have to take the initiative here and make sure he doesn't take another hit… otherwise he's done for._" Toya glared back at Akira, before turning his head, and looking back to Akechi.

"Stay back! I'll handle him, you just focus on not taking another hit!" He yelled out, before looking towards Akira. He used his wings to defend himself… completely encasing his entire body. It was good for preventing damage, but his sense of awareness must go down whenever he uses it. That was Toya's opening… but he had to find a way to get in close. He only really had one way to do it though… and once again, it reminded him of something he did under Osiris's influence… but he had no other choice. "Open fire, Diabolos!" He yelled out as he ripped off his mask, summoning his Persona and firing at Akira.

"**That's useless!" **Akira yelled as he surrounded himself in his wings, completely defending the hit. However, as he blocked the hit, he heard the sound of Toya's hookshot- but it wasn't aimed at him. He spread his wings again and looked around, only to see Toya's hookshot connected to the ceiling, as Toya zipped up to it. "**What the hell are you doing up there…!?"**

"I'm ending this!" Toya aimed his hookshot at Akira and quickly shot it into his chest, before Akira could react and block it with his wings. Once the hook found its way into Akira's chest, Toya began zipping straight towards it.

"**That won't work!" **Akira conjured a blast of dark magic, staring straight at Toya. "**You have no way to dodge THIS!" **He fired the blast straight at Toya as he zipped down. Akira was right- Toya had no way to dodge. All he could do was block. He crossed his arms in front of him as he collided with the blast, gritting his teeth as Akira's dark magic hit him head on.

"_**Oh, this brings back so many memories… This was the first strategy I had really helped you come up with, wasn't it? Way back in the fight against Ishida...**_"

"_Osiris…!_" Hearing Osiris's voice in his head angered him even more, but… at the same time, it gave him strength. It felt like he was rebelling against Osiris when he heard his voice… and that made him stronger.

"_**Is this you saying that you want me to take control? If it is, all you have to do is relax… I'll handle everything. You can spend the rest of eternity in peace.**_"

"_I'm nothing like you think! I… am my OWN person!_" The strength of rebellion was stronger than ever within him, as he pushed through the blast of dark magic, emerging on the other side. He felt so much adrenaline that he could ignore the pain for a moment, as he soared through the air, straight towards Akira.

"**T-That's impossible…!" **Akira tried to defend himself, but before he could, Toya closed the distance between the two of them, as his fist collided directly with Akira's face, nearly knocking him off balance. Before he could regain his balance, Toya got behind him, wrapping his arms around his neck and holding him in place. "**What the hell…!?"**

"AKECHI!" Toya yelled, looking towards him. "End this, NOW!" Akechi aimed the gunblade directly at Akira, taking a deep breath.

"**N-No! Stop!" **Akira cried out, but without hesitation, Akechi pulled the trigger and fired, colliding directly with Akira's head. "**O-Oracle…"** Those were his last words, before he started fading away, turning to black mist. Toya fell back down to the ground and took a deep breath, looking towards Akechi… who was giving him a glare.

"You need to explain what's going on, Toya. Right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what's going on in your head. What's going on with Osiris. Maybe you haven't realized this, but I'm still pretty in the dark on what he actually is. He's nothing like any Shadow I've ever seen."

"That's because he's _not_ like any Shadow you've seen. He's not like any other Shadow in existence."

"Yeah, but _why?_"

"If I had all the answers, I'd tell you…" Toya sighed, looking down for a moment, then back to Akechi. "But… I only know so much about him, to tell the truth."

"How can you not know what's going on with your own Shadow? Isn't he supposed to be a reflection of yourself?"

"Maybe he started off like that. But… then, something changed. When he took control over me in Shido's Palace… he talked about something. He talked about a god of some kind… he said 'God of Control', I think."

"God of Control…?"

"Whatever he means by that… it made him more sentient, in a way. He became fully aware of how everything works… between Shadows, Personas, and how the Metaverse works in general… I mean, you remember the location of this place, right?"

"It was the Metaverse… wait, but… how would anyone be able to get here under normal circumstances?"

"They wouldn't be able to. I think that was the point. I think… I think it was meant to be like this. Nobody was meant to come here unless the real world fused with the Metaverse. I think that's what this 'God of Control' intended…"

"So, what? Does he just want Osiris to be in control of you as the real world fuses?"

"Apparently Osiris is supposed to get stronger if he's able to take full control over my body… I mean, I guess that makes some sense, right? A Shadow, without the normal restrictions of a Shadow… it makes sense that he'd be stronger."

"So… this was all setup, then. He and his 'God of Control' set all of this up so you'd be here when the real world fused with the Metaverse."

"Osiris kept talking about Judgement Day… this must be what he meant that entire time. But… I don't think they planned for you to be here."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Remember what Osiris said to us when we first got here?"

* * *

_Osiris: "__**Allow me to formally**_ _**welcome you to my world… Jester." **_

_Osiris: "_ _ **Oh, you've brought a guest? Unexpected… but I'll allow it."** _

* * *

"Well, even still… we need to face the facts, Toya. Regardless of if I'm here or not… I don't have a Persona anymore. I can only improve your chances by a bit. Who knows what'll happen when we eventually encounter Osiris?"

"Whatever happens… we still have the advantage here. Maybe… Maybe you're the key difference in their plan." As Toya spoke, he heard the sound of the next staircase being formed.

"I suppose there's only one way to find out."

"Yeah. Let's go." Toya started walking ahead, with Akechi following behind him. However, Toya stopped for a moment, looking back. "Hey, Akechi…?"

"What is it?"

"...I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this, but… I'm counting on you, more than ever."

"Toya…" Akechi paused for a moment, as he processed Toya's words. "I understand. We'll both be relying on each other to get through this."

"Yeah. Let's go." Toya started moving again, with Akechi following behind. Akechi felt… weird, hearing someone directly say that to him. He didn't hate it by any means, but… he didn't expect to hear that from Toya of all people- especially after everything that had happened. It made no sense to him, and it probably never would, but… he was still thankful to hear it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cognitive Akira Kurusu & Futaba Sakura
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Akira was eventually suspended along with Ryuji due to Kamoshida. However, once he was suspended… he was also arrested, due to his criminal record. After having his entire life stolen away from him due to trying to stand up for someone… he looked at the world differently. He seeked revenge on society… and when he broke out of prison, that's exactly what he wanted to accomplish.
> 
> Cognitive Futaba, on the other hand, was already a troubled soul. Her mother's death haunted her every day of her life… and eventually, she was ready to take her own life to avoid dealing with more stress. Then, one day, she had a fateful encounter with someone who was trying to get back at the world for what it did to him… and hearing that, Futaba had an idea. She could avenge her mother's death… all she had to do was make whoever murdered her suffer. Even if that meant killing every person in Japan… eventually, it would happen.


	82. Hell of Judgement (5 of 5)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Eighth Circle - FRAUD)**

Toya and Akechi were almost done now… there was only one more circle between them and Osiris now. While Akechi was ready for whatever was to come next… Toya wasn't. Not mentally, at the very least. He knew who was left…and he dreaded the inevitable confrontation. But… he knew it was inevitable. Sure enough, as they got down to the eighth circle… they saw someone. A female wearing a suit with short hair, looking away from the two of them.

"...You remember that favor you promised me?" Toya asked, looking down.

"Huh? Well, yeah… Why?"

"I'm cashing that in now."

"...You want me to handle this alone?"

"No. I want the opposite." Toya slowly took two steps forward, still looking down. "I want you to stay right there and not get involved."

"Are you sure…?"

"...Yes."

"Very well, then. I'll leave it to you." Toya didn't even look back to thank him. He simply started walking forward. "Hey, wait a second."

"What is it?"

"Don't you at least want your sword back? I won't need it if I'm not gonna be in the fight." Toya stayed still for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"No." He said, as he began to walk forward again. He took slow steps, trying to prepare himself for what awaited him… before stopping, and looking up.

"**...Not even going to say anything?" **

"I don't really have the words."

"**I shouldn't have had my hopes up for anything else." **She slowly turned around, and… Toya got a good look at her face. She had a scar over one of her eyes, and there was blood smeared over her- even more than Ryuji had. It covered a majority of her suit, as well. But, behind all of that… it was still her- the person Toya feared coming across… a cognitive version of Makoto Niijima.

"So you recognize me, then."

"**I wish I didn't."**

"What _happened_, then?"

"**You're kidding. You're going to pretend like you don't know exactly what happened?"**

"I'm not pretending."

"**Liar!" **She yelled, clenching her fist. "**You know **_**exactly**_ **what you did to her! And you went ghost on everyone right after!"**

"Listen to me, damn it! I'm serious, I don't know what the hell you're talking about-"

"**Just shut up! I don't want to hear your voice anymore!" **Her voice became strained, as two iron knuckles appeared on her hands.

"...I don't want to fight you, Makoto. Please…"

"**You should have thought about that when my sister was alive!" **She yelled, before charging forward, reeling her fist back and punching towards Toya. He quickly got out of the way, dodging to the side, not retaliating.

"Your sister…!? What the hell are you talking about!?"

"**STOP ACTING LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW!" **The calm demeanor she had in the real world… it didn't exist here. This cognitive version of Makoto… she was fierce. She rushed in once again, this time trying a kick, aiming right for Toya's head. He ducked underneath it, then got out of the way.

"...Fine. You don't have to talk."

"**So you're finally gonna stop denying what happened?"**

"No, that's not what I meant."

"**What? Then what did you-" **She was quickly cut short when Toya suddenly dashed in, making a fist and swinging at her. She was caught off guard, and even though she was able to dodge out of the way and avoid most of the damage, she still felt his knuckles against her skin… it was a serious attack.

"What I meant… is that I'm going to end this quickly. Before experiencing any more of this madness."

"**You...!" **Gritting her teeth, she charged towards Toya with a visible bloodlust in her eyes. However, Toya had a clear advantage- since he had fought alongside Makoto for so long, he knew her patterns… and the attacks she would use. Whenever she attacked a Shadow, her pattern was the same- elbow them in the chest to catch them off guard, two roundhouse kicks to the head, and then a gut punch. That was the same attack pattern every single time without fail, and knowing this, Toya could counter it. However, he had to be smart about it, and he had to take a risk. The best time to counterattack would be after ducking under the two kicks, but if she missed the elbow, she wouldn't even bother. He would need to take the hit… and prepare himself to dodge the rest. Just as he expected, when Makoto got close, she immediately went to elbow him, and she landed the hit. Toya grunted as she landed the hit, giving off the impression that he wasn't prepared. Then, barely even a moment later, she started lifting her leg into the air, getting ready to kick him, just as Toya thought. He quickly ducked down, evading the first kick and giving him the opportunity he needed. Without giving her a chance to react, he took his fist and punched her right in the gut, completely catching her off guard. She let out a gasp of shock and pain, but Toya did his best to try and block it out, quickly getting back up on his feet and going on the offensive, landing a hit directly to her face and causing her to fall back.

"Give up. You can't beat me."

"**Like hell I can't…!"** She got up and tried to rush forward again, but Toya knew it was coming. Makoto was smart, but… whenever she would get flustered, she became unable to come up with a proper strategy. It felt wrong using her own weaknesses against her, but… he had to do it, and he had to constantly remind himself that it wasn't real… it was just a fake version of her. Regardless, Toya saw Makoto's next attack coming, and instead of even taking the elbow this time, he held his hand out and caught her as she tried to attack.

"I know your weaknesses, and I know your strengths. I know when and how to counter all of your attacks." He glared at her and grabbed her arm with both hands, throwing her to the side, causing her to lose her balance, barely not falling over. However, while she was trying to get back on her feet, Toya fired his hookshot tightly at her arm, landing the hit and dragging himself right towards her, putting all of his strength into one punch and sending her flying back, causing her to fall to the ground. "Give up. I don't want this fight to extend on for long." Toya's tone of voice… it wasn't normal. On one hand, it sounded like he was dead serious, but on the other hand… it sounded like he could break into tears at any given moment. Akechi couldn't hold it against him though… the situation was extremely conflicting.

"**This… isn't the end…!" **She pulled herself up, angrily staring at Toya.

"Please. You're just hurting yourself."

"**I don't CARE!" **She yelled, running straight at him. As flustered as she was, she was smart enough to know that doing the exact same thing wouldn't work, so she came up with a better idea. Instead of trying to hit Toya with her elbow, she instantly went for a roundhouse kick, and just like before, Toya ducked under it… which is what she wanted. She kept her leg just above Toya's head, and then attempted to smash it down on Toya's head. Reacting as fast as could, Toya raised one arm above his head, trying to block the attack, gritting his teeth. "**What's wrong? You finally run out of smart remarks? Not even gonna give any final words!?"**

"No, I've still got one." Using his free hand, Toya gripped his mask, glaring up at Makoto. "Diabolos!" He yelled, ripping his mask off of his face and summoning his Persona right in front of her. He then wrapped that arm around the leg she was trying to hurt him with, keeping her in place.

"**G-Get the hell off of me!" **She tried as hard as she could to get out of Toya's grip, but he wasn't letting go.

"It's for your own good." He said, softly. "Show her hell, Diabolos!" He yelled as Diabolos conjured a powerful blast of dark magic, firing it straight at Makoto and landing a direct hit. The blast sent her flying out of Toya's grasp, landing on the ground and spinning out.

"_**How brutal…**_" Suddenly, Osiris's voice echoed throughout Toya's head. "_**You're crazier than I gave you credit for, Jester! Doing that to your precious lover…**_"

"_She's not real. Stop trying to screw with me, damn it._"

"_**Oh, come on. What's with that edgy tone and dialect? You're even more pissy than usual…**_"

"_Get the hell out of my head already!_"

"_**Oh, there's that angry snap I was waiting for! You're still yourself… well, for now.**_" A laughter started echoing around in his head. "_**Well, I'll leave you alone for now. Intermission is over, anyways.**_"

"_Intermission…?_"

"_**You didn't think you had already won, did you? Come now… surely you're smarter than that!**_" Toya's eyes widened as he looked back towards Makoto, who had picked herself back up, and was breathing heavily. "_**The lover's quarrel is starting up once again! Please, entertain me!**_" Osiris's manic laughter could be heard echoing throughout Toya's mind as Makoto looked towards Toya once more, holding her hand out. A tarot card formed… quickly darkening and turning upside down, before Toya could even fully process what was happening. She smashed it into pieces, causing a black explosion around her body. Toya quickly jumped back, getting away from the explosion entirely, finding himself beside Akechi.

"You still don't want help?"

"I have a feeling that only having a sword won't be enough to keep yourself against her now…" Toya said, looking towards Akechi. "Get back. She's gonna be way too much for you without a Persona."

"Fine. But you better stay safe, alright?"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Akechi had a hard time fully believing that, but he put his faith in Toya and went as far back as he could.

"**Have you said your last goodbyes?"** Toya heard Makoto calling out to him, as she completed her transformation. With a robotic form, and looking as if she could transform into a motorcycle at any moment… her transformation into a darkened Anat was complete.

"They won't be my last, Makoto."

"_**I'll**_ **be the one to judge that!" **She yelled, before charging forward and jumping into the air, trying to crash down onto Toya with her fist. She was much faster now… Toya couldn't just dodge out of the way with ease anymore. He aimed his hookshot to a nearby wall, quickly zipping away from her. However, while he was zipping away, he noticed something… concerning. When Makoto struck the ground with her fist, a black explosion formed around the area of impact, breaking a crater in the ground and creating rubble.

"Since when the hell can you punch an explosion into existence…!?"

"**You missed a lot when you went ghost, Toya. You don't know anything about me anymore!"** She began to charge forward again, but as soon as she began moving, her body contorted in a strange way… until suddenly she had transformed into a motorcycle, gaining tremendous speed. She sped her way towards Toya, causing him to attempt to zip away towards the other side of the room, but he couldn't possibly outspeed her. She caught up to him and landed a punch right to his gut- and if the punch on its own wasn't enough, an explosion of nuclear energy came immediately after, sending Toya flying back. His body hit the wall, with the impact creating a dent in it, as he bounced off of it and fell down to the floor. The pain was excruciating… and it made Toya realize something. This fight… it could _easily_ kill him. The odds were stacked against him if he didn't think of something fast.

"_I need to… provoke her…_" He thought to himself, as he took deep breaths. "_Her destructive power… I need to find a way to use that against her._" Toya glared at her as she looked at him with a cocky grin on her face.

"**Well? You ready to give up?"**

"Never…" He responded, picking himself up. "Everyone has a weakness… I just need to exploit yours." He tried to step forward, but then felt his foot hit something . The rubble from the wall, as well as from the floor when she hit it earlier… it could be used for his own benefit, at least for now.

"_Wait, rubble…_" Toya looked up to the ceiling, then back down to the rubble on the floor. "_That's it!_" Toya looked behind Makoto, there was nearby rubble right there for him to use to his advantage as well. But first, he needed to anger her… it was the only way a plan like this could work. She had to make a mistake and get too aggressive… just like his fight against Sae. He needed to trick her into using her own strength against herself… and there was a sneaky way he could do that.

"**You should have just taken the easy way out. You could have died so much more peacefully if you just stayed still…**" Makoto's body slowly contorted into a motorcycle once again, as she began speeding towards him. But this time, Toya wasn't running. He had a different plan in mind.

"Diabolos!" He ripped his mask off as soon as she started moving, summoning his Persona and firing a blast of dark magic towards the floor, right in her path. The impact of the blast was enough to make a crater in the floor, directly in her path. Upon reaching it, Makoto couldn't turn fast enough, and got stuck in the crater.

"**Really? You're resorting to **_**this?"**_ Makoto said, reverting back from a motorcycle to a robotic humanoid, trying to pull her leg out of the crater.

"I thought I taught you how to use the environment to your advantage. Surely you should have seen an attack like _that_ coming." Toya smirked, then used his hookshot to bring a piece of rubble towards him. "Then again, maybe _you're_ the one who doesn't know anything about me." He said, before suddenly throwing the rubble at her face.

"**You had a chance to do **_**anything**_ **to me… and your master plan… was to throw a rock at me. Did you hit your head against that wall or something?"**

"No, Makoto. I just know your strength now." He picked up a piece of rubble from the wall next to him, then gave her a menacing glare. "You aren't **worth** the effort of using a Persona!" His words cut right through her mind, as he threw another piece of rubble towards her, but this time, she was angry. She punched the rubble as it flew through the air, blowing it up and effectively eviscerating every single trace of it.

"**You think you can mock me…!? YOU'LL DIE!" **She yanked her leg out of the crater and quickly moved towards Toya, with anger filling her mind. However, this is exactly what Toya wanted. He aimed his hookshot towards the ceiling and fired, zipping up towards it.

"Too slow. Come on, you can do better than that, can't you!?"

"**SHUT UP!" **

"_If she's as strong as I'm giving her credit for, then she can use her magic in more ways than just amplifying her physical attacks. If I'm right, then…!_" Just as he thought, Makoto spread her arms out while staring directly at him… this is exactly what it looked like whenever Makoto would cast a spell of any kind. With this in mind, he kicked himself off of the ceiling and yanked his hookshot out of it, then fired it again at another part of the wall. As soon as he fired, an explosion was set off where he originally was… making a hole in the ceiling, just as he expected.

"Still not fast enough. Come on! You're supposed to be a damn motorcycle, aren't you?! Why can you get outsped by a guy in a mask!?"

"**I SAID SHUT UP!" **She yelled, as she started to chain-cast blasts of nuclear energy, aiming for exactly where Toya was, instead of where he was going to dodge to. As a result of this, Toya was able to get away without taking any damage at all… and had forced her to create several large holes in the ceiling. He fired his hookshot towards the center of it, then looked down at her. He slightly lowered himself so he wasn't directly on the ceiling, but he was still hanging on to it with his hookshot.

"Your aim is even worse than I thought…"

"**QUIET!" **She practically roared, as she casted yet another spell. However… this time, Toya didn't even try to dodge. Instead, he took the hit directly. He covered his face with his free arm, as the explosion sent him flying back down to the floor. His hookshot was still in the ceiling, and his gauntlet ended up falling off of his hand as he got closer to the ground.

"_It fell off…!? Damn it!_" He needed the gauntlet to end the fight… and it was out of his reach. From where it was, if he jumped up, he'd still just barely miss it… he needed to find a way to get to it.

"**What's wrong? Out of smart remarks finally!?" **No response. Toya grit his teeth and stared at her, then back at his gauntlet. "**You have no way to get away now. THIS FIGHT IS OVER!" **She screamed, before her body contorted into a motorcycle one more time, as she sped towards him.

"_Three… Two…_" Toya counted down in his head, as he figured out how long it would be until Makoto was in range. "_ONE!_"

"DIABOLOS!" He yelled out, summoning his Persona once more. However, this time, he wasn't going to try and hit Makoto directly, or even create a crater in her path. He had a different idea… a riskier one. He fired a blast of dark magic… but it was aimed at the spot just behind Toya, rather than anywhere in front of him. The explosion of the blast, along with a well timed jump into the air… it gave him just enough air for him to get close to his gauntlet, as he slipped his hand back into it, dangling from the ceiling.

"**What…!?"**

"This is OVER!" He yelled, using all of his strength to yank his hookshot out of the ceiling. However, when he did… it wasn't _just_ the hook that came down. Due to the massive amount of craters in the ceiling, the extra force that came from pulling on it so hard… it was enough to make it completely collapse. The ceiling fell down, and it fell down directly onto Makoto. She was fast, but… she couldn't possibly get away from that. However, it only landed on most of her body. Her upper torso and everything above it was unscathed, but… she was safe.

"**G-God…!"**

"I'm sorry, Makoto." Toya said in a soft tone, as he slowly walked towards her.

"**W-What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"**

"You may not be the Makoto that I know, and I may not be the Toya that you know, but… that's not important. What's important… is that in some world, for some reason… I hurt you. I turned you into this. I'll live with that guilt for the rest of my life." He slowly took his mask, summoning his Persona once more. "...I truly am sorry." He stopped in place for a moment… and got another look at Makoto. It felt like an eternity for him… just staring into her. They both stared at each other for a while… until suddenly, Makoto felt… tired. Her eyes got so heavy out of nowhere… until they practically closed themselves, without Makoto having any voluntary resistance to it. Toya just simply stared… while putting his mask back on, very lightly sobbing.

"...Toya…?" Akechi slowly walked forward, as the fight seemed to be over at this point.

"...I can't." Toya's voice was breaking apart, as he fell to his knees. "I've told myself that she's fake so, so many times… but even still… I can't bring myself to do it. No matter what happened to her, and no matter what she thinks I did to her… that's still the person I love. I can't… I can't hurt her any more than this. I…" He looked down, curling his hands into fists and slamming them against the floor, practically cursing himself for all of this. Akechi slowly walked towards him… he wasn't sure exactly what to do. But… some instinct deep in his mind caused him to reach out, and put his hand on his shoulder. Neither of them actually said anything for a while… they just stayed still in place for a while. Toya cried… while Akechi _tried_ to comfort him, even though he truly had no idea how to do that. But… it felt wrong _not_ to do something.

"...Come on. We have to keep going." Akechi said, slowly standing up. "This is all because of Osiris… not you. He needs to pay for this… god forsaken world he's created."

"...You're right." Toya slowly wiped his tears, taking one more look at Makoto. "There won't be another staircase formed, unless I…" Toya slowly took hold of his mask, still looking at Makoto.

"Hey, wait. Look over there." Akechi said, pointing towards one of the craters in the ground. "The floor is already pretty broken up there… do you think we can just break through the floor like that?"

"...Yeah. Good call." Toya turned his head and walked towards it, before firing a blast of dark magic at the crater. Sure enough, the floor broke apart, and created an even bigger hole… straight down to the next floor.

"There's no turning back. If we go down here… we're not getting back up unless we get our phones. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I am." Toya said, walking towards the crater. "And… thanks. What you did… it means a lot to me." He said that last line, before jumping down the crater. His words… they made Akechi feel good about himself. It was still a weird feeling to explain, but… he was thankful for it. He jumped down the crater behind Toya, preparing himself for… whatever was to come.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Ninth Circle - TREACHERY)**

Landing on the ground, Toya and Akechi looked forward… and immediately, Toya recognized things. The heat… the darkness… the throne… and the person sitting on it. They were finally here… the bottom floor, the final circle of hell… in the presence of Osiris.

"**Bravo, bravo! Oh, what a heartwarming show!" **Osiris started clapping, laughing to himself. "**A heart-wrenching battle between the reject and his lover, who finally got tired of him! Oh, how truly spectacular!" **

"You damn…!" Toya walked forward, angrily glaring at Osiris. "What the hell is this about!?"

"**Oh, come on, come on! You do realize I was watching the entire thing, right? And I must say, the bond between you two… oh, it's beautiful, is it not? From casual friends, to sworn enemies that nearly killed each other on multiple occasions… to this beautiful partnership you've formed! It's almost as if you two are the ones who are meant to be together, without that girl you're still all googly-eyed for!" **

"SHUT IT!" Toya yelled, gripping his mask tightly. "This ends RIGHT now, damn it! You have nobody else to fight in your place!"

"**Oh, dear Jester… you think I'm alone? Good heavens no… I still have another trick up my sleeve. Have you already forgotten?" **Osiris raised one hand into the air and snapped his fingers… and when he did, someone dropped down from the sky, right next to him. It was the same shadowy figure that had taken their phones when they first got to the Palace. They couldn't make much out, only red eyes and a psychotic smile… on top of that, he was hunched over, which only added on to the fear that it would be something completely different… and barbaric, at that. "**I mean, come on... Surely you've realized that there's still someone else you haven't fought against yet here, right?"** Osiris started chuckling to himself, as the figure slowly walked forward… stepping out of the shadows and revealing himself. Nearly foaming from the mouth, and looking psychotic out of his mind… he finally revealed himself. Osiris's final trick… a cognitive version of Goro Akechi himself.

"W-What…!?" The real Akechi's eyes widened, as he took a step back, getting a good look at this… horrible creation.

"**You two are such good partners in this world, after all. Did you really think you wouldn't exist in this twisted world of madness too!?" **Osiris started laughing to himself, looking down towards the Cognitive Akechi. "**Don't hold back. Go all out right from the start." **Akechi didn't verbally respond, he just grinned as he held one hand out. A tarot card appeared in his hand, and unlike the rest… when it was formed, it was already darkened, and upside down. Not wasting any time at all, he smashed it in his hands, causing a surge of dark energy to engulf him. The energy pushed Toya and Akechi back a bit… and when it stopped, they looked back towards the Cognitive Akechi… only to see his true form. An even darker form of Loki had formed… with a dark, red blade hovering in front of him, as he stared down at Toya and Akechi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on. You didn't expect Osiris not to have another trick up his sleeve, did you?
> 
> Okay, I've been teasing this for a while now, so it's time for me to finally explain what the hell is going on with Cognitive Haru and Cognitive Makoto. As you can tell, their circumstances are different from the rest. For everyone else, even including Cognitive Akechi (more on him later), they come from a world where the Phantom Thieves didn't exist, and as a result, they became twisted shells of their previous selves. Simple, right? But for these two in particular... things are different. They come from a different timeline, almost. One that has a lot of similarities to this story so far... all until the events of The Ultimate Show.
> 
> (This is gonna get a little dark.)
> 
> During the arc, Toya found himself alone in Sae's Palace, fighting against Sae's Shadow. And, at a certain point in the fight, Toya resisted Mephisto's influence, which we now know was actually Osiris's influence. This is where the differences come into place. In the world that Cognitive Makoto/Haru come from, Toya wasn't able to resist this influence... and as a result, Osiris took control over his body much sooner than he did in the main story. With Osiris in control, Toya had no control over himself... and as a result, in Toya's body, Osiris killed Sae's Shadow. Then, when Akira and Akechi showed up... they saw Sae die, and since they had no idea who Osiris was... they thought it was Toya doing it on his own. Osiris was still in control, and he fought against Akira and Akechi... and in the end, only one person was left standing... and it was actually Akechi. Akira was killed by Osiris, while Osiris, and by extension Toya, was killed by Akechi. With this... three people were now dead. Toya and Akira were dead, and nobody except for Akechi knew where they were... while Sae suffered a mental shutdown. After this, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were slowly arrested, and inevitably killed, due to Akechi leaking the pictures of them exiting Okumura's Palace.
> 
> Now obviously, Makoto and Haru didn't die. Akechi didn't have any proof of Makoto being a Phantom Thief, and as for Haru... well, that plays into her explanation, which we'll get into now:
> 
> Cognitive Haru Okumura
> 
> Following the deaths of all of her allies, Haru had nobody to turn to. She felt completely alone... but in her loneliness, she gained a more... objective look at the world. When she did, she noticed a certian power vacuum left by her father's death. Once she noticed this, she took it upon herself to take his place as the CEO of Okumuar Foods... and her opinion on the nameless workers that were udnerneath her was even worse than her late father's. However, the sudden regrowth of Okumura Foods... it caught the attention of a certain someone- that being Masayoshi Shido. As a result, he and Haru came to a deal. Haru would act as a source of revenue for Shido... and the pictures of her being a Phantom Thief would never be leaked. It was a trade she was more than willing to take.
> 
> Cognitive Makoto Niijima
> 
> Following the deaths of her lover and her sister, Makoto became... bitter, and distant from everyone. And, on top of that, she needed a way to support herself, now that her sister was dead. As a result of this... she stopped caring about having actual bonds with people, and became very similar to the bad parts of her sister, and even became a prosecutor, much like her. She only wanted victory... it was all that mattered to her. Her feelings towards Toya and Sae's deaths changed from sorrow... to anger. They died on her, and forced her to clean up the mess that they created. And to clean up said mess, she had to get... violent with people. She would force fake confessions constantly, even if it meant going as far as torture.
> 
> And, just for the sake of it since we've seen him, I'll give you a little preview of what's in store for Toya and Akechi next chapter:
> 
> Cognitive Goro Akechi
> 
> Without the Phantom Thieves forming, Cognitive Akechi completed his plan. After months of careful planning… he ruined Shido's career, and in the end, murdered him. It left him satisfied… but he wanted more. Not only was his newfound bloodlust insatiable… but he felt alone, again. Nobody relied on him… and so, he felt powerless… and lost. That is, until he found a new purpose… working under Osiris. His mind went into more and more of a haze every single day… but at some point, he stopped caring about that. He just wanted to keep doing what he was doing.


	83. Will Power (1 of 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point, I just kinda stopped caring about posting stats altogether. But I figure that I should probably post them now since this is obviously an important fight, so here:
> 
> Diabolos  
LV 67
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Rebellion - Increase 1 ally's critical rate for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Next Skill (LV 68)  
Heat Riser - Buff attack, defense, and agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Ninth Circle - TREACHERY)**

After a moment of staring, Loki suddenly began charging straight towards the two of them, not wasting any time. His sword hovered just around him as he soared through the air, staring at the two of them directly.

"Diabolos!" Toya yelled out and stood in front of Akechi, summoning his Persona. He quickly unleashed a blast of dark magic, aimed straight at the Loki that was charging straight for them. However… the blast was nothing to Loki. his sword moved on its own, slicing right through the blast and completely erasing it. "What…!?" Loki began closing in on them, as his sword was raised up into the air, ready to come down on them.

"Look out!" Akechi yelled out as he ran forward, raising the gunblade up into the air to defend the two of them, colliding with Loki's sword. "It's a copy of Loki… dark attacks are meaningless against him!"

"**Come now, that part was meant to be obvious!" **Osiris laughed aloud as Akechi struggled to push back against Loki. Akechi could muster up more strength if he was able to focus, but… there was one problem with that- no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't possibly focus. He was staring down a cognitive version of himself, after all. It was all of his darkness… manifested into one being. And, to top it off… that being is the Persona he used to commit countless murders. It was like he was fighting his past… only he wasn't stronger than it. His past had been troubling his mind ever since the aftermath of his fight with Toya… due to his change of heart, he had spent a lot of time reflecting on himself, and who he was… and at some point, he realized that he didn't know _who_ he was. His darkness completely defined him for a long time… and then it was taken away from him. While he was absolutely thankful for that… it put him through a bit of an identity crisis. He wasn't entirely aware of who he was anymore… and seeing his darkness personified in front of him… it scared him to his core.

"Open fire, Diabolos!" Toya yelled out, summoning his Persona once more. Diabolos's arms morphed into gun shapes and took aim at Loki, forcing him to back away as Diabolos began to unload in his direction. "Is this just some sick game to you!?" Toya's gaze turned towards Osiris, with an angry glare in his eyes.

"**What's wrong with having a little fun? This is a moment for us to remember forever, Jester! I want us to enjoy it to the fullest!" **Osiris laughed aloud as he stared down at the two of them, then looking back towards Loki. "**You agree, don't you? Why don't you keep their hands busy for a bit longer?" **He softly chuckled to himself after speaking, closing his eyes and allowing Loki to handle the rest… which he was more than willing to do. Staying still while a menacing aura burned around him, Loki's sword suddenly flew straight towards Akechi, while he was staying absolutely still- as if it had a mind of its own. Akechi quickly raised the gunblade up to defend himself , as the two blades collided once more- only this time, Loki was being much more violent. Instead of just pushing against him and trying to overpower him, he began striking him constantly, changing his angles and forcing Akechi to react to every single strike. If he missed even one block… Loki would cut right through him, without any hesitation whatsoever.

"Diabolos!" Toya summoned his Persona once more and took aim directly at Loki- only this time, Loki wasn't going to dodge. He had a different idea instead, one that he enjoyed much more- and one that Osiris would enjoy, as well. He held his hand out in the direction of Toya, before suddenly, a blast of dark magic was sent straight towards him, at the same time Diabolos fired. However, Loki's attack… it was much stronger, and disintegrated Diabolos's attack with ease. "What the hell-!?" Without having a chance to block, Toya raised his two arms in front of him, opting to try and block the attack- but it was bad. The attack was much stronger than anything he had ever needed to block before… and while it wasn't going to kill him by any means, it definitely hurt. He couldn't sit there and tank hits all day while hoping Akechi won the sword fight- it just wasn't going to work. Instead, he needed a new plan. He aimed his hookshot at the ceiling and zipped towards it, gaining height on Loki and staring down at him.

"_His sword…_" He thought to himself, looking towards Akechi for a moment. "_Regardless of how he controls the sword to fight against Akechi while he fires spells at me, one thing is for sure… his sword can't defend himself __**and**__attack Akechi at the same time. That's my window… but I need to find a way to get the drop on him. He'll know what's happening if I just charge straight at him…_" Toya tried thinking of a strategy for a moment, until suddenly… a weird one came to his mind. He thought back to the previous floor- and his fight against Cognitive Makoto. Specifically, he remembered saying that he knew how to counter all of her tricks… and then, and that's when the idea his him- a way that he could attack without Loki instantly knowing. Loki wasn't willing to give him an easy chance at attacking, though. So without warning, he fired yet another blast of dark magic straight towards Toya as he dangled from the ceiling, only this time, Toya was ready. He kicked himself off of the ceiling and slowly descended down, summoning his Persona as he fell past Loki's magic blast… but he didn't aim for anyone. Instead, he aimed directly at the floor, and shot a blast of dark magic straight at it. The blast connected with the ground, and when it did, a massive smokescreen was formed, completely engulfing Toya within it.

"_What is he doing…!?_" Akechi thought to himself, trying to look over at the smokescreen, but he couldn't. Loki's sword was keeping him busy- far too busy for him to shift his focus and look at whatever Toya was upto. However, Loki wasn't going to let the smokescreen get in his way. He waited for a moment… until suddenly, he heard the sound of something landing on the floor- within the smokescreen. That had to be Toya, getting down from the ceiling and back onto the floor. In that exact moment, he shot a blast of dark magic through the smokescreen, right in the direction of the sound, and… it didn't connect. Nobody was there, but the blast cleared the smoke enough… and then Loki saw the source of the sound. It wasn't Toya, not at all. Instead, it was his mask. He had taken his mask off and let it fall to the ground, completely deceiving everyone else.

"NOW!" Toya yelled, as Loki followed his voice to the source… and saw him, still dangling from the ceiling, albeit a bit lower than before. He had never fully yanked his hook out of the ceiling, so he never fell all the way down. Loki tried to fire another blast at him, but before he could get one off, Diabolos had already fired straight at him. The attack connected, pushing Loki back but not outright killing him- not by a longshot. Still… it was progress, and it gave Akechi a chance to breathe, since Loki withdrew his sword after he took a hit.

"**Aw, using the tactic your lover came up with? How **_**adorable!**_" Osiris applauded, giving him condescending round of applause.

"Just shut up already! If you're planning on just sitting there and staying out of the fight, then stop trying to mess with us!" Toya yelled back, gritting his teeth out of anger.

"**Fine, fine. But you should be saving that anger on someone else." **Osiris looked over towards Loki, chuckling to himself. "**Isn't that right, slave?" **

"Tch…" Akechi sucked his teeth as he heard Osiris speak, glaring at him.

"**Aw, what's wrong? Don't like hearing yourself called that?"**

"Shut up…"

"**Psh. How pathetic. You've lost all interesting characteristics about you ever since you went through that change of heart, you know?" **Osiris sighed, but then took another look at Loki, and then laughed aloud once more. "**That's why I'm so glad to have someone like **_**him**_ **as a slave! All of the parts that made you interesting, without everything that makes you some run of the mill teenager with undeserved fame. It truly is something, isn't it?"**

"Shut UP!"

"**Oh, come now. Aren't you taking a bit too much offense to this? After all, this is just a cognition of how you **_**used**_ **to be, right?" **Akechi paused for a moment, taking a look at Loki again as his eyes widened. "**Oh, don't tell me… You still think that's who you are deep down, don't you? You think your psychotic nature is still deep inside your heart, chained down ever since your Treasure was snatched away from you… that's what this is, isn't it?" **

"I…" Akechi shook for a moment. Was Osiris right? He couldn't be… at least, that's what he was trying to tell himself, but… at the same time, part of him… believed what Osiris was saying- every single word of it. It almost felt like he was running away from the truth… the truth about himself, that he hadn't wanted to accept ever since his heart was changed, but… maybe he was finally coming to terms with it, regardless of if he wanted to or not.

"Don't listen to him!" Toya called out, snapping Akechi out of the trance he was in. "He's just trying to get in your head! He knows he can't beat us on his own, so he's just trying to distract us instead!"

"**Oh, come on. Why are you trying to ruin the fun, Jester?" **

"I don't care about your fun and games! Everything you stand for is going DOWN!"

"**Oh, is that so?" **Osiris began to chuckle softly, before nearly breaking out into hysterical laughter. "**Then please, continue the show, slave!" **He yelled, signaling Loki to continue on with the fight. Toya and Akechi looked towards Loki, as he hovered in place for a moment. Then, his sword was raised directly in front of him, slowly moving up with the blade pointed towards the air… before suddenly, it slashed straight down in the direction of Toya- and when it did, a massive beam came from the sword, aimed straight at Toya. Using his hookshot, he was able to narrowly evade the blade beam, zipping to another side of the room.

"Damn it…! Diabo-" Before he could even finish summoning his Persona, another blade beam was headed straight towards him, and it was coming fast. He had to kick himself off of the wall to narrowly avoid it, and even then, it was a close shave. If that hit him directly… it would hurt more than _anything_ he had ever felt before- he was sure of that. "I'm not gonna be able to dodge forever if he can attack that fast… Akechi, I'm leaving it to you!"

"W-What? But how am I going to stop him…!?"

"The sword is also a gun, remember!? Just use that part of it to stop him! I won't be able to get a hit off if he's firing against me this often!" Akechi nodded and grit his teeth, before raising the gunblade into the air and taking aim at Loki, but when he did… he froze. He looked at Loki… but instead of seeing him, he saw… himself. He saw himself controlling the sword, attacking Toya- with a psychotic grin on his face.

"T-That's…" Akechi's arms and legs began to tremble as he looked. He knew it couldn't be real- he knew that had to be Loki. He tried blinking and rubbing his eyes, but… that didn't do anything. He could only see himself…

"Hey! What the hell are you waiting for!?" Toya looked over to Akechi, who was frozen in fear. "You need to stop him, or else-" Toya was cut short, as one of Loki's blade beams was suddenly right in front of him. Without any time to dodge, or even block… the attack hit him head on, and sent him flying back to the other side of the room. He landed on the floor and began rolling out, before finally stopping on his stomach, coughing and twitching in pain.

"T-Toya!" Akechi called out to him, but before he could go back to try and help him, Loki sent his blade towards him once more, and began attacking him. Akechi began trying to block like before, but this time… Akechi was too distracted by what had just happened to Toya. Because of this, as well as Loki's swordsmanship, the gunblade was knocked out of Akechi's hands entirely, and sent flying back towards the other side of the room, landing right next to Toya's limp body. "What…!?" Without a way to defend himself, Loki took advantage and conjured a blast of dark magic, firing it straight at Akechi. The blast made a direct hit, and sent Akechi back, not as far as Toya was sent, but enough to put him down on the ground, and create a sizeable amount of distance between him and Loki. Just like that… Loki had knocked the two of them down, without struggling for too long.

"**Hmph. All that bravado of yours faded rather quickly, didn't it?" **Osiris sighed, before chuckling to himself again. "**Well, I suppose it was fun while it lasted. Get rid of the other one first, slave. Leave that Jester to me." **He commanded, as Loki slowly hovered towards Akechi, who was trying to pick himself back up.

"Akechi…!" Toya grit his teeth and looked over to his side, seeing his gunblade on the ground. He picked it back up and aimed at Loki, quickly opening fire. Loki used his sword to block the bullets, but Toya didn't care about that. He grit his teeth and got up, holding his sword and taking deep breaths.

"**Come on. You can't seriously care about what happens to this worthless excuse for a human, can you?"** Osiris glared at Toya, not even laughing this time, and beginning to speak in a more serious, condescending tone. "**You disgust me sometimes, you know that? I feel ashamed to be the other side of an imbecile who wants to trust in people who have been a lost cause since birth." **He was borderline breaking character at this point, as he averted his gaze towards Akechi. "**I mean, **_**look**_ **at him! He couldn't even protect you because he was scared! Because he didn't want to attack his own darkness! Want to know why? Because your stupid change of heart did NOTHING! He's still the same psychotic brat that killed your brother, don't you get it!?" **Osiris began yelling, slamming his fist down onto the throne he sat on. "**Who cares if he doesn't have a mask to take off for his Persona anymore? He's already trying to wear the mask of someone who wants to redeem himself!" **Akechi began processing everything Osiris was saying. When he felt defenseless, as he laid on the floor with Loki looming over him… Osiris sounded a lot more convincing than he did previously…

"You don't get to decide who he is, damn it!" Toya yelled back, catching Akechi's attention specifically. "Who gives a damn what he did!? If he still wanted to kill me, or if he was ANYTHING like he was before, he would have done it by now! He's had EVERY chance to stab me while my back was turned, and EVERY chance to let me die to some of the Shadows you've created down here! But instead of fighting against me, he fought by my side, and we made it all the way down here! I don't care what kind of metaphorical bullshit you bring up, NOTHING you say will convince me that he's the same person he once was!"

"Toya…" Akechi's eyes widened. Everything he had just heard… it broke through his mind, and the chains that were on his heart. Those words… they just kind of… _clicked_ for him. It felt like… those were the answers he was actually looking for- the words he needed to hear.

"_The time for you to make a decision has finally come._" Suddenly, a voice called out to Akechi, as a headache began to overcome him- a devastatingly painful one. "_Who are you, really? Are you the dark figure that you're being described as? Or, perhaps… are you someone else? Are you some**thing** else?_"

"I'm…" Akechi grit his teeth, looking up at Loki. He saw himself for a moment… before suddenly, that image of himself… faded away. Instead, he saw what was _really_ there. He saw Loki… the personification of his darkness. He slowly picked himself back up, as his legs began to tremble.

"_The time for your choice has come! Do you know your answer!? Do you know what truly defines you as a person!?_"

"I am the ONLY person who decides who I am!" He roared, as his eyes turned golden. Loki backed away, looking at Akechi in curiosity.

"_Very well. Then let the contract be formed._" Suddenly, a devastatingly painful headache overcame him, causing him to grip his head and start yelling out in pain. "_The true self within you… now that the cloud of darkness has passed, you can finally see it- and you will never lose it again. The days of people telling you who you are and who you should be shall finally come to a close, and you will carve your **own **path __to the future._" Akechi yelled out in pain again, nearly falling down to his knees in pain, but he held his ground, glaring at Loki. "_I am thou, thou art I…_" Akechi took deep breaths, gritting his teeth while staring Loki down. "_Let the light within you shine brighter, and burn away the darkness that plagues you!_" The voice yelled out, before a red flame appeared on Akechi's face… along with a long mask, of the same color.

"Seeing my darkness in front of me… it's enlightened me. Because, if that's what the fake me looks like…" Akechi slowly raised one hand to the mask on his face, gripping it tightly. "Then, everything else in my heart… that is… is the real ME!" He yelled, before ripping the mask off of his face. When he did, the red flame erupted around him, sending out a wave of air pressure, pushing everyone back. When the flames were more controlled, and the air pressure faded… all eyes turned back to Akechi, only now, his attire had changed completely. He was wearing a royal white outfit, along with red accents all over it… just like what he was wearing the first time Toya saw him in the Metaverse. And, behind him… was an entirely new Persona. It was wearing the same color white as Akechi, along with red and gold highlights all over it. It also had a helmet on, but its eyes weren't covered. And in its hand was a long, golden sword, with runic symbols all over it.

"**Tch. So you got a new power. Bravo, bravo!" **Osiris was a bit annoyed, but that quickly passed, as he started to laugh once more. "**Well, that's fine. Perhaps this will be more entertaining for me now!" **He yelled, as Loki's blade hovered around him, preparing himself for another round.

"I knew you had it in you." Toya said, giving Akechi a smirk as he started walking forward. "Well? You wanna try beating this thing on your own?"

"No, Toya. I don't want to go through life alone… never again." Akechi looked towards him, nodded, and then back to Loki.

"...Now you're talking." Toya chuckled, before standing by Akechi's side, holding his gunblade tightly and staring at Loki.

"The darkness of my past…" Akechi materialized a beam sword in his hands, before pointing it at Loki, showing a determined gaze as he grit his teeth. "Let us dispel it all at once, Mastema!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope Akechi doesn't get a 3rd tier Persona in P5R. That's mess with everything that was just established.
> 
> Just joking. I already spoiled P5R for myself, so I know the answer to that question. I won't disclose that here though, since I'm sure some of you are trying not to spoil that for yourself.
> 
> By the way, I don't remember if I brought this up while I was reposting this story earlier, but I answer questions left in reviews/comments at the end of chapters, as long as I can do it without spoiling too much of the story.
> 
> "Will Akechi pay for all the crime he had done like going to prison or will he allow to go scot free?"
> 
> He will pay for his crimes. I know Akechi's going through a redemption arc and all right now, but let's not dismiss the fact that despite everything that he's doing now, he's still done some awful things in his life. I won't go into the specifics of what happens since that will obviously be spoilers, but he does not get to go scot free.
> 
> And, since I posted Diabolos's stats earlier, I have all the more reason to post the stats of Akechi's new Persona now as well:
> 
> Mastema  
LV 67
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Heaven's Requiem - Severe Bless damage to all foes.  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Diamond Dust - Severe Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Psycho Force - Severe Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.


	84. Will Power (2 of 2)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Ninth Circle - TREACHERY)**

Sticking to the original plan, Loki went on the offensive once more. He raised his sword high into the air, before firing several horizontal blade beams at Toya and Akechi, forcing them both to react. Toya quickly aimed his hookshot towards the nearby wall and fired, getting away from the beams entirely. However, Akechi decided not to evade- he had a different idea. With his Persona already summoned, he watched the beams slowly come towards him as a cocky grin formed on his face.

"Mastema!" He called out, using his Persona's power. Mastema gripped its sword tightly, before using it to cut straight through the beams that were coming towards him. As Mastema's runic blade swung forward, every single beam faded out of existence upon contact, not leaving even a single trace of their existence behind. They were completely eradicated… surprising everyone else in the room. Akechi's power had reached a new height that none of them had been expecting-not even Osiris, who had been watching the entire thing.

"Don't forget about me!" Toya yelled out as he stuck to the wall, before kicking himself off of it and aiming his hookshot at Loki, piercing straight through his leg and causing him to grunt in pain- but Toya was far from done. He began zipping towards Loki while gripping his sword tightly, preparing himself to strike him directly. However, Loki was prepared for this attack, and by using his sword, he was able to block it. Toya pushed against Loki's blade, and while he couldn't force his way through on his own, he didn't feel the need to, and that was thanks to Akechi's newfound power. While Loki was distracted, Akechi commanded Mastema, using another powerful sword slash to attack directly, catching Loki completely off guard. Loki was hit directly and fall down to the ground upon impact, and when he did, his sword fell along with him, allowing Toya to force his way right through and attack him as well. Loki's head hit the ground after Toya's strike, leaving him even more wounded. He wasn't completely finished off, but he was definitely weakened. At this rate, the fight would be easy for the two of them. Akechi was powerful, much more powerful than anything Loki and Osiris had been expecting.

"Looks like this won't take long." Toya said, zipping back to Akechi's side. "Jeez… you went this entire time without having a Persona, and now that you do, you're stronger than ever."

"It's only going to get easier from here. Now that I've figured something out… this is going to be a walk in the park."

"You've figured something out?"

"Yeah, I have. I'm still learning the power of this Persona, but… I think I have something that could make quick work of this monstrosity." Akechi said, before suddenly, he and Toya heard the sound of Loki preparing a blast of magic, seemingly out of nowhere. They turned towards him and saw that dark energy surrounding his entire body, converging in on his hands.

"If you have something to stop him, now might be the time to use it!" Toya ripped his mask off and summoned his Persona, preparing to defend himself.

"Leave it to me." Akechi said calmly, quickly summoning his Persona. A red flame burned around him brightly as he looked towards Loki… at one point in time, that red flame… it signified chaos, and malicious intent. But… now, the flame seemed… purified, in a way. It was impossible to explain… but it was a relief to see, to say the very least. The flame burned brighter and brighter, as Akechi prepared himself for Loki's attack. Moments later, Loki unleashed a massive burst of dark energy, aimed directly at Akechi. "Mastema… reveal your true power!" He yelled, before suddenly, an even bigger burst of light energy was sent out, clashing with Loki's attack and practically eviscerating it. Gasps were heard from both sides of the room as Loki put his arms up in front of him, as well as his sword. He did everything he could to protect himself, as the blast hit him directly, engulfing him in the bright light of Akechi's newfound power.

"M-My god…! What the hell even was that…!?" Toya said, shocked at how much raw power Akechi had just displayed.

"I told you that I would surpass whatever expectations you had of me, did I not?"

"My expectations were high, but not… _that_ high! That was-"

"**Inacceptable!" **Osiris's voice cut Toya off completely, as he slammed his fist down against his throne, causing a purple flame to rise around him. "**You damned slave… Why the hell are you losing to these fools!?" **He yelled, staring right towards Loki's body. Toya and Akechi were shocked that Loki had even remained alive after that blast… they were both sure that Loki was a goner- that attack looked devastating, so they couldn't even imagine how it felt. But even still, Loki slowly got up, looking towards Osiris. "**The only reason you're still alive is because you're supposed to be able to DEAL with brats like these two! Stop slacking and FINISH THE JOB!" **Osiris's impatience was audibly clear, and it seemed to… intimidate Loki, almost. Loki looked down towards the ground, and then, his sword was raised in front of him… before suddenly spinning in a circle, clockwise.

"That's…!" Akechi's eyes widened. He had seen this so many times… he had commanded it so many times… he knew _exactly_ what was coming.

"Wait… is he doing what I think he's doing!?" Toya took a step back along with Akechi, as the two of them eyes down Loki, who was spinning his blade around even faster. As it spun… a red and black flame suddenly erupted around him, sending a massive wave of air pressure around him. Toya and Akechi covered their faces as they began getting pushed back by the pressure.

"A cognition is… driving himself psychotic…!? How is that even possible!?"

"Save the logistics for later, damn it!" The pressure finally began fading, as Loki… had a malicious aura around him, one that practically screamed murderous intent.

"**End this. Don't make me repeat that, got it?" **Osiris said with a stern voice. He sounded so… different, when he was angry. It was like he had two sides to him… one just wanted to mess with people, and the other… was just an easily irritable soul. He was like a pure psychopath… in a scary way. But… whatever was going on with Osiris, it had to wait, because Toya and Akechi had bigger issues on their hands. Loki looked more powerful than ever… and if they weren't careful, they would get completely destroyed by him. Without any warning, Loki's sword ascended far into the air, and came crashing down in Akechi's direction, forcing both him and Toya to jump back. They got away, but as soon as the sword collided with the ground… a massive white explosion formed, forcing the two of them even further back.

"He's gotten _this _much stronger…!? Damn it!" Toya aimed his gunblade at Loki and began taking shots at him, but as soon as he pulled the trigger… Loki erected a physical barrier around himself, completely defending himself from the attack. "_And_ he has barriers!? Give me a break…!"

"We need to come up with a plan… we won't be able to take him down without some kind of a strategy!"

"Working on it! But we need to figure out what his limits are first, otherwise he'll just overpower us!" As soon as Toya spoke, Loki began preparing another powerful blast… however, instead of it being a sword attack, it was another magic attack… only it wasn't a dark one this time. An icy wind filled the room… before suddenly, Loki shot shards of ice out of his hands, aiming them directly at the two of them.

"Burn!" Akechi yelled out and ripped off his mask, summoning his Persona and casting a spell… shooting a blast of fire out, colliding with the ice.

"Wait, you can use _fire_ too!?"

"Mastema's abilities… most of them are similar to Loki's, with two exceptions. For one thing, I have light magic instead of dark magic… and I believe I have access to some kind of psychokinetic attack as well."

"You mean like Haru…?"

"Something like that. At any rate, I have access to fire and ice spells as well. Not to mention I have barriers, but… I can't defend both of us at once, so those won't be too helpful when his attacks cover so much distance."

"Talk about versatile… well, at any rate, that's gonna be helpful. Maybe we'll be able to take this thing down…" Toya took a look towards Loki, who was still floating in place, erecting another physical barrier around him. "Say… you were able to cast a magical barrier as well, right?"

"Yeah. That means he should be able to do it too."

"...I'm gonna go find that out. Cover me!" Toya said, running forward.

"C-Cover you!?"

"Your barriers will work if I'm the only one in his range! Just make sure he doesn't do too much damage so I can figure out what else he can do!"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Akechi yelled out to him, but it was no use. Toya was already running forward, right into Loki. Loki commanded his sword to go right towards Toya, and began attacking him. Toya defended himself from Loki's constant attacks, before seeing an opening and firing his hookshot towards a nearby wall, getting away from Loki's sword, even if for only a moment.

"Diabolos!" Toya ripped off his mask as he got close to the wall, summoning his Persona and looking towards Loki, before firing a blast of dark magic right at him. Just as he expected, as soon as he fired the blast of dark magic… Loki quickly created a magic barrier around him, sending the blast straight back to him. Toya covered himself and blocked the attack, but it was still strong… he put a good amount of force into it regardless, so it still kind of hurt him. However, that's not the part that was concerning. After he got hit and started getting sent back, he saw Loki's sword getting closer to him, ready to strike. "Now!"

"Mastema!" Akechi yelled out, as he used his own physical barrier, covering Toya and blocking Loki's sword completely, giving Toya the chance to get away. He zipped back towards Akechi, gritting his teeth in slight pain. "Have you lost your mind!?"

"Yeah, a little…" Toya took a deep breath, looking towards Loki once more. He had put another physical barrier around himself- as well as a magical barrier. He was practically immune to damage altogether now. "On the bright side, I think I came up with something."

"...Define 'something' for me."

"I came up with a way to take him down, regardless of that power boost."

"...HOW?"

"Look, are you in or not!? We don't really have time to talk about how I get my ideas anymore!"

"...Okay, fine! Just tell me what you need me to do!"

"**What the hell are they bickering about…?" **Osiris looked over to two of them. He was regaining his cool, but he was still a bit flustered, which could be heard in his voice. "**They're scheming something. Slave! Stop them at once!" **Loki began charging forward, charging up a powerful dark magic blast and sending it forward. As he fired it, Toya began running forward, heading straight for the blast. As soon as he was about to hit it, Akechi formed a magic barrier around him, sending the blast right back. Loki used his blade to cut straight through the blast without any issues, and then tried to attack Toya with it. However… as soon as Loki's sword got close, it suddenly stopped moving entirely. Loki tried to force it to move, but he couldn't. He couldn't figure out why… until suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red flame. He looked over to it and saw Akechi with his hand out and his mask off, as well as his Persona, who was also holding one hand out. It was a psychokinetic spell… and it was keeping Loki's sword still. Except a few moments later, Mastema began to overpower Loki, and eventually gained full control over his sword. He attacked Loki with it, using it to break his physical battier apart without it reflecting anything.

"You're wide open!" Toya yelled, as he began opening fire, shooting at Loki now that he didn't have a barrier to defend himself. Although it hurt, it wasn't enough to stop Loki by any means. Loki quickly prepared shards of ice and sent them at Toya, but instead of trying to attack deflect them... he just jumped away completely, using his hookshot to get far out of the way. At first, Loki was confused at the lack of retaliation, but… that confusion faded as he looked back towards Akechi, who had been preparing a magic blast that entire time.

"Let the light of redemption outshine his darkness… Mastema!" Akechi yelled, unleashing his most powerful attack. The attack went straight for Loki, however, Loki was prepared. He still had his magic barrier, and as a result, he was perfectly safe.

"Diabolos!" Loki was sent into a state of shock as he heard Toya's voice. He looked towards him, only to see him cast a blast of dark magic, sent straight at Loki. He couldn't cast a spell fast enough, and he had already lost control of his sword… meaning he had nothing to stop the blast. It connected… but instead of connecting with Loki, it connected with the barrier that was defending him, which reflected the blast back at Toya. Toya was hit directly by the blast, but… it didn't matter, because he had already accomplished his goal. The barrier was gone… and without it, Loki had no way to defend himself. He tried to move, but… he couldn't. The blast hit directly… and with that, Loki was finished. Faded away into nothingness as he was engulfed by the light of Akechi's newfound power.

"That… actually worked…?"

"Never doubt me… ever again." Toya said, breathing heavily. He had to put a lot of force into the blast, otherwise Loki could have had time to cast some kind of spell to deflect it. If that happened, the entire plan would have failed… so it was a risk he was willing to take. Akechi put his hand out, offering to help Toya up. Toya took his hand and got back up on his feet, still taking deep breaths. However, their moment of victory was short lived, as they suddenly heard the sound of clapping, echoing throughout the entire room.

"**Bravo, bravo! What an amazing display of skill and strategy! Trust and teamwork! Oh, how amazing it was to watch!" **

"Quit acting so cocky, damn it!" Toya yelled, glaring at Osiris. "You have nobody left to hide behind!"

"**Oh, come now. Do you really think I need more assistance? After all, the slave caused you to take more than enough damage! You won't stand a **_**chance **_**against me now!"**

"Is that so? So your big plan was just to soften me up, so you could take my body and make your god proud?"

"**God?" **Osiris started chuckling, before bursting out into hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny!? Don't think I forgot everything you said in Shido's Palace, damn it!"

"**Oh, that's not it. I knew you'd remember. I just thought you'd be smart enough to realize how ridiculous that sounds! I mean, look around you! Haven't you noticed that this entire area is based off of Hell yet!?"**

"So, then… all that talk about a God of Control… was that just made up!?"

"**Wrong again. He did create me, and he did give me the power and awareness that I have… but he gave me **_**too**_ **much potential." **Osiris started laughing again, as a purple flame appeared at his feet. "**I'm not going to make him **_**proud**_… **I'm going to **_**KILL **_**him!"**

"Kill him…!? You're planning on killing a god!? Are you out of your mind!?"

"**Think, Jester, think! Open your eyes! That god has control over the general public's hearts… and yet he allows the world to be so AWFUL! I mean, you've seen it yourself, have you not!? Murderers, robbers, vigilantes… **_**that's**_ **the society that the God of Control is responsible for!"**

"And you think you can do ANY better!? What do YOU know about humans!?"

"**I know how to fix things. I just need to force society to rebuild itself!"**

"Rebuild itself…?" Akechi said, giving Osiris a questioning look.

"**If humanity was able to start over with **_**me**_ **as the leader, I could reform society! I could create a utopia, free from all of the awful things that the God of Control had allowed!"**

"Wait, you…" Akechi paused, before processing everything Osiris was saying. "You're gonna restart humanity… by…!?"

"**You know the answer to that, fools! I'm going to destroy EVERYTHING! Every building and every family, leaving only a select few to survive and recreate society from the ground up!" **

"You've really lost your mind… what kind of utopia is created by killing billions!?" Akechi grit his teeth, angrily glaring at Osiris. "That's nothing more than meaningless carnage!"

"**It doesn't matter if you understand. All that matters… is that you both **_**fall**_**, and that I gain control over the Jester's body! With it, I will unlock my true power… so that I can kill that worthless God, and I will seize control over this world!" **Osiris laughed, as the purple flame at his feet rose even higher, completely engulfing him… until suddenly, he emerged from the flame with a slightly different appearance. He was wearing the exact same outfit as Toya… including the mask. He gripped the mask tightly and chuckled to himself, before ripping it off, and once he did… Mephisto appeared, hovering right behind him. "**This power should be enough to handle the two of you without any difficulties."**

"So you have control over Mephisto… I should have seen that coming."

"Much like how Loki was for me… that Persona is all of your darkness, manifested into one being… it's no surprise that he can control it." Akechi gripped his mask tightly with one hand, and his blade tightly in the other. "We defeated my darkness, didn't we? We can defeat this too!"

"**Getting cocky now? You shouldn't be. After all, the Jester was weakened during the fight against the slave. Your only chance at stopping me was when you were both at full power! Now that you've been weakened, any hope you had is gone!" **Osiris started going into a laughing fit, sounding absolutely psychotic as the purple flame around his body got bigger and bigger. "**Now NOTHING can stop me!" **

"I don't care how much damage we took! We're not giving in to someone as delusional as you are!"

"You took control over my body once…" Toys gripped his mask, ripping it off and summoning Diabolos, glaring at Osiris. "I'll NEVER let you do that again! We're taking you down, right here and now!"

"**By all means, TRY!" **Osiris yelled, as purple flames began bursting all around the room, engulfing the walls in their menacing aura. "**You should thank me. My victory ensures a new age, with eternal justice and judgement for all of mankind!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, everything has been revealed. Osiris's master plan... to overthrow the very god that created him, and to recreate human society as a whole. Can he do that? Well, he'll need to get through Toya and Akechi first. Neither side is going to give up too easily though.
> 
> Diabolos  
LV 68
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to one foe.  
One-shot Kill - Severe Gun damage to one foe.  
Marukunda - Decrease all foes' Defense for 3 turns.  
Heat Riser - Buff attack, defense, and agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.  
Maeigaon - Heavy Curse damage to all foes.  
Bullet Hell - Medium Gun damage to all foes 4 times.  
High Counter - 20% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.  
Nightmare - Inflict Sleep and Fear (high odds) to all foes.
> 
> Mastema  
LV 68
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Heaven's Requiem - Severe Bless damage to all foes.  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Diamond Dust - Severe Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Psycho Force - Severe Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Mephisto  
LV 69
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Pandemonium - Automatically applies Call of Chaos on user at start of battle.  
Desperation - Boost self's attack but drops defense.  
Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Oblivion - Severe Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.


	85. Toya OSIRIS Kazero (1 of 2)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Ninth Circle - TREACHERY)**

"You're going DOWN, Osiris! This madness you've caused ends NOW!" Toya yelled, feeling rage course through his veins. He was staring down the source of his problems, the being that corrupted his very soul… Osiris. All Toya had to do now was put an end to him… but deep down, he was still nervous. Defeating Osiris… there were risks involved. After all, this was still _his_ Shadow. One misstep… and Toya could end up accidentally causing his _own_ death.

"**Oh, is that so?" **Osiris chuckled to himself, before holding his hand out. A purple flame appeared in his hand, then began to extend, as if it was taking form of something… then, within moments, the flames took form… the form of a silver gunblade, identical to Toya's.

"How the hell-!?"

"**Don't tell me you're surprised, Jester. Haven't you put the pieces together yet?" **Osiris began chuckling to himself, twirling the gunblade around in his hands. "**After all, I **_**am**_ **you. The other half of the same coin. You shouldn't be surprised that I have the same tools as you do!"**

"It doesn't matter if you have the same tools as him." Akechi said, walking forward and lifting his blade into the air, pointing it at Osiris. "We're going to take you down no matter what tricks you have up your sleeve!"

"**Oh, is that right? You two can't possibly be **_**that**_ **delusional!" **

"You're the only delusional one! All of this crap about a utopia… what kind of utopia is built upon a million dead bodies!?" Toya gripped his blade tightly, before taking aim at Osiris. "You really think we'll let you create a nightmare like that!?"

"**You won't be able to stop the carnage that will ensue, you fools!" **Osiris twirled his gunblade around once more, before taking aim at the two of them. "**Allow me to show you just how meaningless your efforts are!" **He formed a demented grin on his face, before pulling the trigger, still aimed for the two of them. Toya and Akechi instinctively began moving out of the way, getting away from Osiris's gunfire. But even as they dodged, he didn't stop moving. He kept shooting away, and specifically, much to Toya's surprise… he was aiming specifically got Akechi. He had no idea why, but he had to take advantage of the opportunity. He gripped his blade tightly and charged forward as Osiris was focused on Akechi, jumping into the air and getting ready to strike. However, as soon as he got close, Osiris turned his head and brought his blade with him, colliding with Toya's. "**What's wrong, Jester? You want to end the fun so early!?" **

"This isn't some game to me!"

"**Oh, but it should be! Loosen up a bit, have some FUN!" **Osiris yelled as he reached for his mask, ripping it off and summoning Mephisto. He tried to cast a spell, but Toya quickly pulled the trigger on his gunblade. It didn't hit anything, but the sudden sound it made was enough to catch Osiris off guard for a moment, giving Toya a chance to use his hookshot to get away.

"Now, Akechi! Blast him!"

"Mastema!" Akechi ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona, quickly firing a huge blast of light magic straight at Osiris. However, Osiris looked at it… and he didn't even look intimidated. He simply laughed to himself, before making a fist. When he did… a blue beam rose around him, as Mephisto's gun spun around.

"**ATTACK!" **He yelled, as an even bigger blast of dark magic appeared, flying straight towards Akechi's blast. The two blasts collided, and within just a second or two, Akechi's blast completely disappeared, getting completely engulfed by Osiris's.

"That's… not possible…!" Akechi grit his teeth and used the power of his Persona once more, casting a magic barrier around himself. The barrier took the hit and sent it right back at Osiris, but again, Osiris didn't look worried at all. He closed his eyes and crossed his legs, he even yawned, as the blast hit him directly… it didn't even _scratch _him.

"**Whew! Now THAT'S a rush!" **Osiris started laughing to himself, cracking his knuckles and stretching. Meanwhile, Toya slowly walked towards Akechi, giving him a… concerned look.

"Y-You're seeing what I'm seeing, right?"

"On top of being a complete psychopath… he has unbelievable strength. And… it feels like he's _still_ toying with us!" Akechi was getting frustrated. He put so much power into that blast… and Osiris did away with it like it was nothing. He felt… completely outclassed. It was almost scary how strong he was. "If there's ever been a time for one of your ridiculous plans, Toya, it's now!"

"I don't… really have one yet."

"You don't!?"

"I can't come up with one _this_ fast! I barely know anything about him yet!"

"Damn it… well, what _do_ you know!?"

"Well… he's using Mephisto. That means… well, he's basically the opposite of Loki- apart from the dark attacks. He uses a gun instead of a sword, he uses thunder and wind instead of fire and ice, and he charges himself up instead of defending himself. What I _don't_ know is how we're going to get around that…"

"Well there has to be _something!_ Can't you think of any-"

"**Hey! What's with the hold up!? You guys are BORING me!" **Osiris yelled out, staring at the two of them. "**I thought you fools were gonna try **_**stopping**_ **me! What's with the strategy meeting!?"**

"Talk about a short fuse…" Toya said to himself, before suddenly… something clicked in his mind. Osiris has a short fuse… just like he does. And when Toya snaps, he _snaps_… and gets completely reckless. That's what they needed to do- they needed to make Osiris snap and get reckless. That's how they'd find an opening to take advantage of.

"**Well, fine. You don't have to be the ones aggressive. I'll do it for you!" **He said, laughing to himself before summoning Mephisto once more. "**Try dodging THIS!" **Osiris yelled, before sending a massive tornado at them. It was far too big to dodge… even with the use of Toya's hookshot, he'd be no match for this. Just as he was thinking of a way out of it, Akechi ran towards him, standing right in front of him and ripping his mask off.

"Mastema, defend us!" He screamed as he summoned his Persona. To Toya's surprise, he casted an ice spell… but it wasn't aimed at Osiris. Instead, it created a massive wall in front of the two of them, as a means to defend them. "That's not gonna hold forever. We need to come up with something!"

"Let the wall go down!"

"What!? Are you out of your mind!?"

"Just trust me! Let him break the wall down, and then once I give you an opening, rush him!"

"Are you sure that will wo-"

"JUST DO IT!" Toya grit his teeth and stood his ground, watching the wall of ice as the tornado collided with it. The winds and the ice collided with each other… and had an interesting reaction. The wall was broken, but it weakened the winds of the tornado. As a result, there were blocks of ice that were just floating in the air for a while. "Here goes!" Toya aimed his hookshot at one of the blocks and fired, zipping up to it and hanging on to it, staring at the next one.

"**What...?" **Osiris got confused for a moment, as he saw Toya zipping from ice block to ice block. "**What the hell do you intend on accomplishing like **_**that!?"**_

"This is the strategy that will take you down!" Toya stopped zipping around and landed firmly on the ice block that was closest to Osiris. He stared him down from above, before firing his hookshot at another nearby ice block- only this time, he didn't pull himself towards it. Instead, he pulled the block towards him, and sent it hurling down at Osiris.

"_**This**_ **was your master plan!? How PATHETIC!" **Being as cocky and ignorant as ever, Osiris simply used his blade to break apart the ice as it got close to him, creating tiny shards that surrounded him, not even hurting him.

"You remember what I said, don't you? I said that this is the strategy that will beat you!" He took another block of ice and hurled it down at Osiris, only this time, Osiris didn't just block it. He uses another gust of wind to keep it in the air, preventing it from falling down. Upon seeing this, Toya continued hurling more and more ice blocks at him, and while it did keep Osiris focused on channeling the magic, it wasn't enough to stop him- not at all.

"**You're gonna defeat me like this…? I thought you said **_**I **_**was the delusional one! Whatever happened to that!?" **

"You misheard me…" Toya chuckled to himself, preparing to hurl one more block of ice. "I never said I'd be the one to do it!" He sent the ice block straight down towards Osiris, and while he was blocking it, he tried processing what Toya was saying… only to realize that Akechi was now charging straight at him, holding on to his mask and ripping it off of his face.

"Mastema, now!" Akechi summoned his Persona and sent a massive blast of light straight at Osiris.

"**What the hell…!? Damn it!" **Osiris didn't have a change to concentrate this time, but he didn't need to. Without a second thought, he sent a blast of dark magic straight at Akechi's, just to stop it. The two blasts collided, and due to the fact that Osiris hadn't powered it up this time, it turned into a bit of a power struggle, wit5h the two of them putting all of their focus into the blasts. "**Hah! You think you have more raw power than ME!? You're out of your mind!" **

"It doesn't matter who's stronger when you lose your focus!" Toya yelled from above, as he jumped down from the blocks of ice. Osiris didn't know what he meant at first, but… then he realized. He put all of his focus into the blast of dark magic that he had completely forgotten about the blocks of ice that were above him. Without his wind magic stopping them, the blocks of ice came crashing down onto his head, with him not having any chance of blocking the attack whatsoever. While the blocks of ice didn't necessarily hurt him… they didn't need to. Because their goal was simply to cause him to lose his focus, and that he did. After losing his focus, he was unable to stop the giant blast of light magic that was headed straight for him. It engulfed his dark magic and hit him directly, causing him to scream out in excruciating pain. The blast colliding directly against him and his throne caused a bit of an explosion, one that pushed both Toya and Akechi back, forcing them to cover their eyes. However, when they opened their eyes… all they saw was rubble, covering where Osiris's throne used to be.

"D-Did we get him…!?"

"You definitely hit him, but… he's still in there."

"How can you be sure…?"

"He's still me, isn't he? He's not going down in just one hit like that." Toya glared at the pile of rubble… before suddenly, it began to shake and rumble around. Then, out of nowhere, the rubble was sent flying across the room, scattering into hundreds of little pieces… and underneath all of it… was Osiris, panting and holding on to his arm.

"**You... damn…" **Osiris began to breathe heavily. That attack hurt… much more than anything he was expecting out of the two of them.

"You can still stand after that!?" Akechi gasped in shock and took a step back. He was sure that a blast like that would have been enough to stop him… and while it did do some damage, it still wasn't enough to fully finish him.

"**Fools… There's no way I can lose… it makes no sense!" **

"There's no way in hell you're _actually_ me. You're delusional out of your damn mind!"

"**Shut UP! Don't you get it!? **_**I**_ **am the chosen one! **_**I**_ **was created to rule the new world! And **_**I**_ **am supposed to be the stronger version of you! That's why this makes no damn sense! I **_**can't**_ **lose to trash like you!" **The desperation was clear in Osiris's voice… he was serious. He really thought he was some kind of chosen one… it was almost sad to see. "**That's… That's why…"**

"He's gonna try something…!"

"**That's why I'm going to DESTROY the two of you, right here and now!" **Osiris ripped his mask off and summoned his Persona once more, as a purple flame raged around him. "**Bring them hell, Mephisto!" **With those words, he used Mephisto and conjured a raging thunderstorm, sending lightning bolts straight down from the sky, aimed sporadically around Toya and Akechi. The two of them tried to dodge, but… it seemed as if the lightning wasn't even trying to hit them. It was almost like bait, trying to get them to dodge away.

"All that talk and you can't even aim a spell!? I thought you were supposed to be _my_ Shadow! The true, more powerful version of me! What the hell happened to _that!?_" Toya yelled out to him, in a mix of both confusion and anger.

"**You really don't get it yet!?" **Osiris began to laugh again, and while you could still hear the anger in his voice… you could also hear that he was starting to completely lose his mind, and all restraints he once had. Seeing and hearing this… it sent a chill down both Toya and Akechi's spine. "**You're right. I **_**AM**_ **your Shadow, Jester! That's why I'm looking at the bigger picture!"**

"The bigger picture…?"

"Toya! The ground!" Akechi pointed out, as Toya took a look down. The ground beneath them… it was beginning to crumble. That's what Osiris was doing. He was messing with the environment… and he was trying to cause the two of them to fall through the floor. Toya felt the ground beneath him get more unstable, and with quick thinking, he shot his hookshot towards the sky, flying up towards the ceiling and getting away from the danger. However… Akechi didn't have the same tools as Toya did. As a result, when the ground gave in beneath him, he began to fall through. He reached out and held on to a piece of the ground, as he was stuck in a hole that presumably had no end to it.

"Akechi!" Toya tried to get over to him, but as soon as he fired his hookshot to try and get closer, and began to zip towards him… Osiris looked at him, and had a sadistic grin on his face.

"**This is… the END!" **Using another bolt of lightning, Osiris aimed directly for Toya's body as he was zipping through the air, unable to dodge… and landed a hit directly. Toya's body was sent flying back, before he crashed against the ground on his back, sliding against the floor.

"No…!" Toya tried to pick himself up, but… he couldn't. He didn't have the strength to anymore.

"**Such an anti-climactic ending… for a complete waste of everyone's time." **Osiris began chuckling to himself, before looking towards the hole that Akechi was in, as he tried desperately to pull himself up. "**You won't die, Jester… but you'll wish you could. Especially after watching what happens to your poor old friend here!" **Osiris held his hand out as he summoned Mephisto once more, who was now looming just above him. His gun was spinning around in front of him… he was getting ready for another blast of magic… and this one was going to be even more deadly than the last. Akechi had no way to defend himself anymore… this attack was going to end it.

"Akechi…!" Toya tried pulling himself up again, but… he still couldn't find the strength to do it.

"_Please, we need your help…"_

"_That voice…! But wait… why do you sound so… clear…?_"

"_You are the only one with the potential… to save The Fool from his untimely demise… by unlocking the secret of The Jester…"_

"_The Fool… the secret of The Jester…? S-Slow down, you're not making any sense!_"

"_You must overcome the darkness inside of you… and defy the very demons who seek to control you…"_

"_...Wait…_"

"_Make the overwhelming power of Hunger your own… and destroy the chains that jail your heart… That is the only way to save the world from Ruin…"_

"_Unlock the secret of The Jester, and make the power of Hunger my own…? Overcome the darkness inside of me… and defy the demons who seek to control me…?_" Toya was lost in thought for a moment… before suddenly, he remembered something. A dream he had… or at least, something of the sort.

* * *

_Ken: "This whole time, you've been running from that side of you, because you're afraid of giving in to it, but… maybe it's time you accepted it for what it is."_

* * *

"_You're still giving me advice… even now, Ken…_" Toya clenched his fist tightly… before uncovering newfound strength inside of him. "_I've never accepted Osiris for who he is… he's still me. He's still a part of me… and I'm a part of him. And he hasn't fully accepted that yet, either… He only thinks of me as a part of him… not the other way around! That's… That's how I'm going to take him down!_" Toya clenched his fist tighter, before slowly picking himself up off of the ground, glaring at Osiris. "_He's just using variations of all the tricks I've used so far… that's it! I can out think my own strategies faster than he can!_"

"**Y-You can still stand…!?"**

"I'm NOT… losing… to YOU!" Toya ripped his mask off and summoned his Persona, gritting his teeth and glaring angrily at Osiris. "Diabolos… OPEN FIRE!" Without warning, Diabolos began to unload onto Osiris, forcing him to dodge out of the way. He didn't have too much difficulty dodging out of the way, but Toya didn't necessarily need to hit him. He used the bullets as cover, giving him the time to get over to Akechi. He reached his arm out and took a hold of him, pulling him out of the hole he was stuck in. "Stay here for a minute!"

"S-Stay!? Don't tell me you think you can beat him alo-"

"I KNOW I can beat him alone!" Toya charged ahead, looking straight at Osiris with a tight grip in his gunblade, before swinging directly at him. Osiris brought his blade up to defend himself… but Toya's strike was powerful. This newfound strength inside of him… it was a lot more intimidating than Osiris first gave it credit for. "The chosen one!? The one destined to rule the new world!? You've forgotten the position you're in, haven't you!?" Toya yelled, as he continued striking Osiris over and over, forcing him to stay on the defensive. "You're still me… and this is MY body, and MY cognition! That's why I'll NEVER lose to YOU!" Toya planted one leg in the ground, then used his other one to kick Osiris right in his gut, catching him completely off guard.

"**You damn…!"**

"You're DONE!" Ripping off his mask, Toya summoned Diabolos and opened fire directly on Osiris. The attack sent Osiris flying back, colliding with the wall behind him. Toya took deep breaths as he put his mask back on…

"Jeez… and I thought he was being brutal…"

"Get over here, Akechi. He's not done yet."

"...You can't be serious." Akechi started walking back towards Toya, giving Osiris's body a… curious look. Before, inevitably, Osiris started picking himself back up.

"**Impossible… IMPOSSIBLE!" **Osiris smashed his fist against the ground out of anger. He felt… outclassed. He knew he was stronger than Toya, but… he couldn't stand up to him, and he had no idea why- which absolutely infuriated him. "**No… I REFUSE! I absolutely REFUSE to lose to the likes of YOU!" **Osiris picked himself up and glared at Toya angrily. "**YOU'RE the fake one, damn it! You're nothing more than a roadblock! Dead weight that's stuck in my way! Stuck in EVERYONE'S way! So why the hell do you RESIST!?"**

"Don't you get it yet!? YOU'RE the one in the way! Your utopia is never going to exist the way you want it to, and you're NEVER going to rule over anything!"

"**You're wrong… YOU'RE WRONG, DAMN IT!" **Osiris roared, as a massive purple flame erupted around him. "**To HELL with it! I don't care how badly you get hurt! All I need is for you to not die, right!? That means…" **He ripped his mask off again, summoning Mephisto behind him as he held on to his blade tightly, pointing it at Toya. "**I CAN BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCES!" **

"I'll NEVER let you win!" Toya pointed his gunblade back at Osiris, as the two of them continued to glare at each other. The showdown between the two of them… it still wasn't over.


	86. Toya OSIRIS Kazero (2 of 2)

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Kazero's Palace (Ninth Circle - TREACHERY)**

With a sadistic glare in his eyes and a wicked grin plastered all over his face, Osiris charged forward- completely disregarding his previous strategy of staying back and keeping the two of them at bay. He had no interest in that any longer- all he wanted to do was attack. He wanted to press the attack and demolish both Toya and Akechi- and he knew that he was strong enough to do just that.

"He's coming… Get ready! We're not gonna get another chance to breathe!" Toya took a deep breath and stared down Osiris as he charged the two of them down. He prepared to defend himself, but before he could, Akechi jumped ahead of him, surrounding himself with a physical barrier. Osiris didn't care about the barrier though, Akechi wasn't even his main focus anymore. Instead, he used the power of his wind magic to launch himself high into the air, soaring high above Akechi. As he was ascending into the air, he took aim at Akechi and fired, breaking the barrier without the bullet being reflected back at him. After shooting, Osiris averted his gaze straight at Toya, and used another gust of wind magic to dive straight down in his direction. As he was diving down, Toya could see a pink beam surrounding his body… he was preparing himself for a powerful attack. He pointed his gunblade towards Osiris and began to open fire, but shooting at him did almost nothing. Osiris simply used his own blade and had enough speed to defend himself from any meaningful shots, rendering Toya's attack completely useless. Having exhausted his only viable option of retaliation due to not having enough time to cast a spell to stop him, Toya was forced to use his hookshot to quickly zip away, getting himself to the other side of the room. As soon as he got out of the way, Osiris crashed down onto the ground, landing right down where Toya was originally standing.

"You're mine!" Seizing the opportunity he had seen, Akechi raised his blade into the air and tried to swing at Osiris, but he was too slow for Osiris- especially since he was angry. He ducked undeerneath Akechi's attack and punched him right in his gut. Since he hadn't hit anything since he originally charged up, the punch was extra powerful, much more than Akechi was prepared for. Akechi staggered and started stepping back, gasping in pain as his chest heaved, trying to process the hit he just took. But Osiris wasn't going to play nice anymore- he was getting serious, which meant he was getting violent. Before Akechi could get away, a pink beam rose around Osiris once more, and as it did, he punched Akechi straight in his face, sending him flying away.

"Akechi!" Toya called out, as he started running towards him.

"**WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF!" **With a tone full of malice and anger, Osiris looked back at Toya and rushed him, using a gust of wind magic to quickly close the distance between the two of them. Toya stopped in place and stared Osiris down, before aiming his hookshot towards the ceiling, trying to create a bit of distance between them. However, Osiris knew all about Toya's hookshot tricks- and he wasn't about to fall for this one. He changed his trajectory with the use of wind magic and looked towards the ceiling, soaring to the top and grabbing on to Toya's hookshot before it lodged itself into the ground. He yanked on it and swung it around, which forced Toya into the air and started spinning him around in circles. Toya started feeling nauseous as he was spun around in the air, but he knew he couldn't falter here. He pushed down as hard as he could… and after some time, he was able to get close to the ground once more, planting his feet down into it to slow down his movement. Once he did, he took his other hand and grabbed on to the hookshot, pushing it in the opposite direction to stop the movement even more, keeping him still.

"Your tricks won't phase me, damn it…!" Toya's entire body shook as he tried desperately to hold on, trying to prevent Osiris from flailing him around once more.

"**You damn fool… you really think you can outmatch me in raw power!?"**

"I don't NEED to!" He yelled, as he saw Akechi getting up out of the corner of his eye. "NOW!" He called out to him, as Akechi prepared a blast of light magic, aimed directly at Osiris. Without a moment's delay, he fired, sending the blast straight at him. Osiris was forced to let go of the hookshot, and instead of keeping himself in the air with wind magic, he had to quickly descend down to the ground to get away from the attack. He landed on the ground and went to look towards Akechi, but before he could, he felt a fist smash against his face, pushing him down and causing him to fall flat on his face.

"**Tricky bastard…" **Osiris slightly lifted his head up and looked out of the corner of his eye, seeing Toya looming over him. He got back up onto his own two feet, breathing heavily. He felt weakened… he could dish out damage, but… he couldn't take hits anywhere near as well, especially when he wasn't expecting the hit. That was the one thing Toya had over him… Osiris might have had more raw power, but Toya was much more durable. Osiris was very aware of this flaw, and that's why whenever he influenced Toya's mind, or even took control over his body… he did his best to not take many hits. He knew that if he took too many hits… he would be done for. Thankfully for him, up until this point, that flaw didn't matter at all. He was able to beat everyone down without them ever having a chance to put up a real fight. But… it mattered now. Fighting two people at once was tough enough, and unlike the fight against the Phantom Thieves where he was infinitely stronger than all of them, the gap between him and the two people he was against was much smaller… it potentially didn't even exist at all. He could take them down one by one, but… he never got the chance. The teamwork of Toya and Akechi was… surprisingly good, but that was mostly due to Toya's strategy, and Akechi's trust in him. Toya was smart and knew how to turn fights around in his favor, while Akechi had a lot of raw power due to his new Persona, and after all the trials they had been through so far, he had more than enough trust in Toya's brain. As crazy as his ideas always sounded… for some reason, they just _worked_.

"_**Damn it…!**_" Osiris started thinking to himself, trying to strategize against them. "_**I can't beat them both at the same time… they're too smart for that. They don't take nearly enough risks. I need to separate them and take one of them down immediately… then I can focus on the other. I know I can beat them on their own…!**_" Osiris glared at Toya, then looked at Akechi from the corner of his eye. He had an idea… an idea to separate the two of them. It was risky, but he had to take the shot- otherwise he was doomed.

"**This is as far as either of you make it." **Osiris said calmly, as wind magic began to circle around him. It formed a small tornado, progressively getting bigger and raising him into the air. It was a trick Toya had done before, and one that Akechi had seen before as well, so neither of them were too surprised by this. Toya stepped back a bit, keeping a bit of distance. Toya and Akechi weren't close to each other… this was Osiris's only chance at beating them. "**This ends NOW!" **Osiris raised his hands into the air, with his mask off of his face and Mephisto right behind him. "**TEAR HIM APART!" **He roared while staring at Akechi, before firing a massive blast of dark magic straight at him. Akechi's first instinct was to fight back, so he sent out a blast of his own, of light magic. The two blasts collided with each other, and because of this, Akechi had to put all of his effort forth to stop it. However, Osiris wasn't exactly focused on the blast. He slowly descended down to the ground, just glaring at Toya.

"...Are you even _trying_ to win that…!?"

"**Of course not. This is **_**much**_ **simpler." **Osiris chuckled to himself, and before Toya could process it, Akechi's blast of light magic broke through Osiris's, and started heading straight for him.

"What the hell are you doing then!?"

"**I'm doing THIS!" **A blue beam rose around Osiris's body as he turned around, facing the blast of light and sending out an even bigger blast of dark magic at it. The blasts collided, and because of how much force Akechi was putting into it… his blast didn't just instantly disappear this time, unlike the first time. Instead, there was a bit of a struggle… and unfortunately, Akechi had to keep that struggle going. If he stopped focusing… he wouldn't have enough time to put on a magic barrier to defend himself, and there was no way he could possibly get away from a blast that big in time. He was forced to stay focused on the blast… which left Toya alone to deal with Osiris. "**That should keep him busy for quite some time. I don't even have to focus on that anymore… I've put more than enough strength in the blast to handle him without me putting in any more effort." **

"You're kidding me… _this_ was your plan? To fight me alone!?"

"**This is what you've always wanted, isn't it? A dance with the devil of your own mind? You should be happy." **A gunblade materialized in Osiris's hands once more, as he stared directly at Toya. "**Now you **_**finally**_ **have the chance!" **He charged forward, gripping the blade tightly and swinging at Toya. Toya raised his own blade into the air to deflect it, as the sound of steel crashing against steel sounded out the room.

"Yeah. It is what I want!" Toya pushed against Osiris harder while taking his fist and trying to punch Osiris in the gut, but Osiris saw it coming. He dodged out of the way, giving Toya room to breathe. With the few seconds he had, he took a look towards Akechi… he wasn't really in danger, he was just stuck. He could hold out there for quite some time, but he couldn't get out himself. He needed Osiris's attack to fade away before that was possible… and once it was, Toya was sure that Osiris was done for. He had only _one _idea… but he needed an opening. And to get that opening, he needed to be aggressive… and distract Osiris. With that thought in mind, he charged straight ahead, bringing his sword into the air trying to strike Osiris. Osiris was surprised that Toya was rushing forward like this out of nowhere, but he didn't question it much. He was glad that Toya was doing it, because this is what he wanted, too. The two of them swung their blades at each other over and over, endlessly striking each other while Akechi was on the other side of the room, too focused on his own struggle to even watch. The sound of their blades clashing over and over again echoed throughout the room though… and somehow, Akechi knew that Toya was up to something. He would have kept his distance if he didn't have some kind of a plan… he just needed to wait for the time.

"**You can't beat me!" **Osiris yelled out as he started swinging faster, pressuring Toya much harder. Toya took the opportunity to back off, jumping away from Osiris while ripping off his mask.

"THIS can!" Toya summoned Diabolos and sent a blast of dark magic straight at Osiris. He didn't even try to block… he just stood still and took it like the cocky bastard he was.

"**...It can? Are you su-"** Before Osiris could finish talking, Toya had rushed at him again, not giving him a chance to even finish speaking. He kept Osiris focused on him… repeatedly striking him. "**Like I said… YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!" **Osiris yelled, as he started putting his own pressure on. And this time… Toya wasn't able to resist him anywhere near as much. Osiris caught Toya off guard, found an opening, and punched him right in his face while he wasn't able to defend himself, knocking him back. OSiris started laughing to himself. "**See? I told you. Your teamwork was the only thing that gave you a chance against me." **

"Yeah. That's how you're going down!"

"**Please. That dumbass over there is too focused on the blast to ever help you-" **Once again, before he could even finish talking, he felt someone grab him. He turned his head and saw Akechi behind him, and then moments later, he heard the sound of his blast colliding with the wall, making a loud explosion. He tried to move, but… he couldn't. Akechi's arms were underneath his and wrapped around, keeping him completely in place. "**How the hell did you escape…!?" **Osiris yelled as he tried to break Akechi's hold, but as he did… he noticed something. Akechi's hand… there was a gauntlet covering it- Toya's gauntlet, the one that had his hookshot in it.

"_**So that's why…!**_" Osiris recalled back to when Toya suddenly blasted him with dark magic. He wasn't trying to hurt him… he was just distracting him. While Osiris was distracted for a moment, Toya threw his gauntlet towards Akechi, which gave him the chance he needed to get away from the blast.

"What are you waiting for!? Do it! Blast him with everything you have!" Akechi yelled, holding on to Osiris.

"A-Are you insane!? You were supposed to be the one blasting him! Now you're just gonna get yourself hurt!"

"It was too risky! If he blocked it, then we would completely lose the element of surprise!" Akechi grit his teeth and tried to keep Osiris still, but he was struggling. "Just do it, damn it! I survived it the first time, didn't I!? You can't waste anymore time!"

"But…"

"DO IT!" Akechi yelled. Toya was still hesitant, but… he had to. He ripped off his mask and summoned Diabolos once more… staring Osiris down.

"**N-No! Stop it, damn it!" **

"End this… DIABOLOS!" Toya fired off the strongest gun attack he could, aimed right for Osiris's stomach. The shot pierced through his stomach… and while it didn't pierce through Akechi as well, it definitely hurt him. Both of them fell to the ground as their bodies separated, both landing on their back. Akechi was hurt, but… it wasn't fatal by any means. Toya ran over to him, reaching his hand out to him.

"See…? I-It wasn't… _that_ bad…" Akechi winced in pain as he reached out for Toya's hand, as he slowly got up on his feet again.

"You really are crazy…" Toya took a sigh of relief. He was worried that Akechi would be seriously hurt… but thankfully enough, he was… alive, at the very least. He was in pain, but it wasn't going to be the death of him by any means.

"**Im...possible…" **Osiris started coughing as he looked towards them. "**None of this… none of this makes… any sense…!" **Osiris looked over to the two of them, who were glaring at him. "**I… I was supposed to be the chosen one…! The one meant to rule over this world! I just needed to beat you… I needed that power… so why…!?"**

"I pity you, Osiris." Toya said, closing his eyes.

"**What…?"**

"You've lived through every hardship I've been through. Only… you never saw the light at the end of the tunnel. You just got lost in the darkness… and lived your life in anger and hatred. And because of that, you want to continue a cycle of destruction… until only you are left. And for that… I pity you."

"**..."**

"I accepted you a while ago, Osiris. I accepted that you were a part of me. But… you never accepted that. You wanted me to be a memory… and for you to have full control. That's what this all is, isn't it?"

"**...It doesn't matter anymore." **

"_What_ doesn't matter anymore?"

"**This! All of this… nothing matters! If I can't stop him… the God of Control… then nobody can. If I don't have that power… then there's nothing in his way. He wins."**

"No, Osiris. _I'm_ still in his way."

"**You? You're just a human…! What makes you think you can stop a god!?" **

"Faith. In myself, in my allies, and…" Toya slowly opened his eyes, looking into Osiris's eyes. "Faith in you, Osiris."

"**Faith in me…? What the hell do I habe to do with this?" **

"All of this talk about needing to control my body… what makes you think that there's no other way for that power to be unleashed?"

"**What the hell are you implying…!?"**

"All you wanted was for me to accept you as king, right? Then let's do the opposite. I want _you _to be the one to accept me."

"**A-Accept you!? You're out of your damn mind! You think you can just defeat a god if I 'accept' you!?" **

"You don't have another option. Besides… you lost already. I'm the only chance you have left at defeating god and changing the world." Toya slowly walked forward, slowly kneeling down and holding his arm out. "There's no other way. If you don't do this… then that god wins- and that means we _all_ suffer."

"**You… really are an idiot, you know?" **Osiris paused, before chuckling to himself. "**...But I suppose I am too for trusting this. Very well, Jester. Just this once…"** Osiris started to fade away into a small purple light, that slowly moved towards Toya's head. "**I shall give you control over **_**my**_ **power." **Osiris's voice slowly faded, and when it did, a purple flame arose around Toya. However, he wasn't scared… and neither was Akechi. This wasn't something to be scared of anymore… this purple flame meant something different now… it was hope, in a way. Hope that anyone can overcome their darkness… no matter what it took.

"It's finally done…"Akechi sighed, feeling completely exhausted. "I feel like we spent over a month in here…"

"Yeah… that took way too long…" Toya took a deep breath, before suddenly… something appeared in the room, around where Osiris's throne originally was. "Is that…!?" Toya ran over to it, with Akechi following behind.

"What's up? Is it our phones?"

"That's here too, but… this is…" Toya was… speechless. Akechi peeked over his shoulder, and saw… a hookshot. It wasn't the same one that Toya had in his gauntlet, it was completely different.

"What… is that…? Is that your Treasure?"

"Father…" Toya softly spoke under his breath, as he reached out and took hold of it. "This… was my father's. I lost it a long time ago, but… I used this when I first started coming to the Metaverse. I guess this is… my Treasure…" Toya held it in his hands and stared at it for a while, before suddenly, the room began to shake, as if it was falling apart.

"The place is falling apart…! How the hell do we get out of here!?" Akechi yelled, before suddenly… a blinding light came from the other side of the room. Toya and Akechi both covered their eyes, and then once they opened them again… they saw a door. And standing in front of the door was a girl… she was small, almost appearing like a child, but her hair was long, and her eyes were golden.

"Who are…?"

"There's no time to explain." Her voice… it sounded so familiar to Toya. "You must get out of here, before you both perish!" She walked towards the door, and without questioning anything, Toya and Akechi realized that they had no other option. They ran for the door, getting out of the Palace before it collapsed on top of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hell of Origin... has finally fallen. 
> 
> I finally get a break from writing fight scenes. Granted, it's not gonna last very long, since there's a certain literal god that's showing up pretty soon, but... for now, I'm just going to enjoy this very small break I have.
> 
> Toya's Treasure, as you read, is his father's hookshot. I thought this would be the most symbolic one, considering all of this started with his father dying, and he has nothing else to really remember him by other than his memories. The only other thing I could think of was a bandana due to the fact that he runs around in the real world wearing one, but I thought this fits better, and I'm sure most people reading this agree.
> 
> Anyways... we're almost done now. Just a few more chapters to go, and this story will be done. Well, until P5R comes around, at least. Then I'm going to rewrite the entire thing. Of course there are going to be a lot of changes to it, but... I'll explain that once at the end of this story.


	87. Wild Cards

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - The Velvet Room**

After rushing out of the Palace and into the door, Toya and Akechi found themselves in… a weird place. There were prison cells scattered around the room, and in the middle of them all, there was a desk. Sitting at the desk was a man with a long nose, wearing a black suit. Next to the man was the small girl who escorted Toya and Akechi out of the Palace, with long blonde hair and golden eyes, wearing a blue dress.

"Where are we…?" Toya asked, looking around.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." The man said, interlocking his fingers as his arms pressed against the desk.

"Since the others left, we have been awaiting for the two of you to finish your trial." The girl spoke… and when she did, Toya felt a headache. That voice… he knew where he recognized it from.

"I… I've heard your voice before…" Toya held on to his head for a moment while speaking. "I've heard you calling out to me… in my times of need, I always heard your voice. Even just a little while ago… just who are you…?"

"My name... is Lavenza. Forgive me for this, but… I do not recall ever calling out to you."

"What…? That's impossible… I know I heard your voice. There's… no way I'm mixing this up…"

"The voice you heard was most likely the malevolent God, leading you along." Toya's eyes widened for a moment. A malevolent God… after all of Osiris's talk about how it was a God who created him, things started to finally click into place.

"Do you mean… the God of Control…?" Toya said, taking his hand off of his head.

"God of Control… isn't that who Osiris was talking about?" Akechi asked, looking towards him.

"That is all correct." Lavenza said in a calm voice, looking at the two of them. "The God of Control, Yaldabaoth, manipulated your Shadow. Thanks to his influence, he was able to turn your mind into a hell… in the hopes that you would succumb to your darkness."

"But… why? Why did he go through that trouble? If he's a God, then… why does he need someone else to do his work for him? Shouldn't he be more than strong enough to handle me on my own? I'm just a human…"

"That's because he was under a disguise. He sealed away my master, and took his form. He tried to lead along the Persona users that have the power of the Wild Card."

"Wild Card? I'm… not familiar with that term." Akechi said, putting a hand to his chin.

"The Wild Card is what allows certain Persona users to summon different Personas. If Yaldabaoth influenced your Shadow… then that means he tried to influence all 3 Wild Cards."

"3? So wait… Toya, Akira, and… me…?"

"That is correct. Yaldabaoth is the one who answered your call and gave you a Persona originally." Lavenza closed her eyes for a moment, taking a look at Igor, then looked back towards Toya and Akechi. "As we speak, the other Wild Card and his allies are fighting against the malevolent god."

"T-They're fighting him!? But… I saw them disappear…! All of them just… vanished into thin air!" Toya was sure that they had all died, and he had been trying to hide how he felt about it due to the circumstances, but… hearing that they were okay put him in a state of shock.

"When they disappeared from the real world, they were all sent here. In fact, when they came here, they were all looking for you."

* * *

_Makoto: "Did… did any of you see Toya…?"_

_Akira: "He's not here. I looked everywhere… there's no sign of him, or Akechi."_

_Ryuji: "Where the hell did they come from, anyway? Toya was gone for weeks!"_

_Ann: "They came out when the real world and Mementos fused… maybe he was hiding out there?"_

_Makoto: "T-That's not as important! I just… I just want to know where they are…"_

_Lavenza: "They didn't disappear like the rest of you did. The reason that you all disappeared was because to society, you all exist as nothing more than Phantom Thieves. They had begun to forget about the Phantom Thieves, so they forgot about you. That means you didn't exist in their cognition anymore… and due to the laws of Mementos, that caused you all to disappear."_

_Haru: "So Toya and Akechi… they didn't disappear because the public sees them as something more than just Phantom Thieves?"_

_Yusuke: :They were called enemies of state, were they not? I imagine that society has a hard time forgetting people who are labeled as that."_

* * *

"They disappeared… because the public forgot about the Phantom Thieves? And they remembered me and Akechi because we're criminals…"

"That is correct. It's why neither of you ended up here, and went through that trial." Toya closed his eyes and tried to process this, but… Akechi was skeptical.

"Does something feel… off to you, Toya?"

"Off? What do you mean?"

"We both get labeled as criminals… we don't disappear when everyone else does, and we end up in your Palace… but the thing is, we couldn't normally get there. The only way we could _ever_ get there is if the real world fused with the Metaverse. Maybe I'm just too skeptical, but… I don't think that can be a coincidence."

"I guess. But… is that even _possible?_ Can something _that_ big even be staged?"

"It's certainly possible." Lavenza said, cutting off both of their trains of thought. "The malevolent god… if he influenced your Shadow, it's reasonable to believe that he did the same thing to others."

"When we fought against Shido's Shadow… he said that he was chosen by God. Did he mean…?" Toya paused for a moment. Everything felt… strange, all of a sudden. This God that he had heard of only 2 weeks ago… suddenly seemed like a puppet master that was behind _everything_. Even his own path… was influenced by him. "Lavenza, you said everyone else was fighting this guy on their own, right?"

"Indeed, they are. Though… I worry for their survival."

"You need to get us out there. Now!"

"You really want to go out there and fight a _god!?_"

"I made a promise to Osiris that I would take him down. And… everyone else is out there, fighting him. I can't let them risk their lives on their own. I'm going out there, and I'm tearing that God apart, no matter _what_ it takes!"

"...You really are beyond my comprehension…" Akechi closed his eyes and chuckled. "You stuck by my side, despite all the wrongs I committed… you kept your faith in me. It's time I return the favor." Akechi opened his eyes, looking at Toya and nodding, then looking towards Lavenza. "Take both of us there. To wherever they're fighting this God!"

"They're doing battle in the real world, the one that's been fused with the Metaverse." Lavenza turned around and started walking towards a staircase, and at the top of it was a large, red door. "This will take you directly there. We shouldn't waste any time."

"Say no more. Let's do this." Toya said, walking towards the door with Akechi right by his side. They were still nervous, but… they knew what they had to do.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya Station Square**

Immediately after walking through the door, Toya and Akechi found themselves in the middle of Shibuya… where everyone else seemed to disappear.

"This place looks even worse than it did before…" Toya said, looking around. There were fossils everywhere, as well as blood raining down from the sky… and people were starting to notice it. There was panic in the streets now, as people started running around… eventually, they saw people vanish into thin air.

"...They're not going to end up in the Velvet Room, are they…?" Akechi said, taking a step back.

"Unfortunately, no. I do not have the power to bring all of those lost souls there. Furthermore, I don't think they would be able to comprehend what's happening…" Lavenza said, as she looked towards the sky, pointing. "Look, up there." She said, as Toya and Akechi both looked up. And what they saw… frightened them. It was a large, metallic body of some kind… it had wings, and a halo above its head.

"What the hell is _that!?"_ Toya yelled out in shock, and a bit of fear.

"That is the malevolent god, Yaldabaoth."

"Wait, THAT thing is a God!? How the hell is everyone supposed to be fighting it!?"

"_**You better not be getting second thoughts, Jester!**_"

"_O-Osiris…!?_" Toya heard Osiris's voice in his head, seemingly out of nowhere. "_You've been here this entire time!?_"

"_**You didn't think I just vanished into nothingness, did you? I'm a part of you, remember? A part of you that's going to be around for a while. But that's not the point, damn it! You can't start getting cold feet now that I've entrusted you to do this!**_"

"_I'm not! It's just…_"

"_**Makoto's up there, you realize. Do you want her fighting that thing without you there?**_"

"_Okay, I get it!_" Toya grit his teeth and looked back towards Yaldabaoth.

"You two…!" Suddenly, Toya and Akechi heard a different voice from behind them. They turned around… only to see Sae, standing behind them with a shocked look on her face. "Where the hell have you been!? And what's going on here!?"

"Sae, you need to get out of here and get somewhere safe."

"Just… what is this!?"

"The real world fused with the Metaverse, and everyone is off fighting God right now!" Toya pointed towards the figure in the sky, causing Sae to look at it and… show a bit of fear, for once.

"You mean… Makoto's up there…!?"

"Yeah. We're getting up there now, and we're gonna take that thing down! So please, just… get somewhere safe!"

"...Fine. But you and Makoto better not get hurt!"

"That goes to you, too. Stay indoors, and… think about other people, alright? People who aren't popular. You might save a life…"

"...I won't pretend to understand what that means." Sae turned around, giving Toya one last look. The look… it said a lot more than anything she could ever put into words. She was genuinely concerned for Toya… in a way that was much more than just a legal guardian. It was… more like a parent than anything else. Toya never felt that from her before, but in that one moment, with that one look that she gave him… he knew it was there. He didn't really know how to process it, but… he enjoyed it. He felt a real bond with Sae at that moment, more so than ever before.

"You ready?" Akechi asked, looking towards Toya. He snapped out of the mini trance that he was in, looking back to him.

"Yeah. I am." Toya looked up towards Yaldabaoth one more time… before reaching for his father's hookshot, his Treasure… and handing it to Akechi. "You're gonna need this."

"You're… letting me use this…?"

"I trust you, Akechi. Let's go!" Toya aimed his hookshot towards one of the higher platforms, zipping up towards it and bringing himself closer to the area where everyone was fighting Yaldabaoth.

"Trust… I don't know if I'll ever be used to that…" Akechi closed his eyes for a moment, smiling to himself. "I won't let you down." He said, before firing the hookshot to the same area Toya did, following behind him.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Holy Grail Temple **

"**Foolish humans. Since you've been forsaken by the world, there is nowhere that you can belong." **Yaldabaoth's voice echoes throughout the sky, as he unleashed a blast onto all of the Phantom Thieves, sending them down to the ground.

"We… can't lose… like this…"

"If we lose… the world is…"

"I need to… get back up…" The Phantom Thieves struggled to get up from Yaldabaoth's attack, but he didn't care about that. With a loud, condescending laughter, Yaldabaoth blasted them all once again.

"Ngh… My strength…"

"I can't… go on…"

"Is this it…?" The Phantom Thieves found themselves down on their knees at this point. They could barely even move… let alone fight.

"**Not even one sliver of unpredictability can be permitted under my control. The voices of the masses… they mock you for revolting against a god. Humans are naught but clumps of desire. Logic dictates that a world filled with them will decline. The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, you will taste pain everlasting." **

"...That's not… happening…!" Akira yelled out, getting on his feet.

"**The trickster who failed to restore my hope in humanity, hm...? It is impossible for a petty existence like you to overrule my precedent." **

"I'm still standing here, against you! And nothing… nothing's gonna stop me from defeating you!" Akira grit his teeth and reached for his mask. "I have hope… hope in all of my allies, and everyone I've made bonds with… I KNOW that there are more people willing to rebel against your will!"

"**The will to rebel against a god... Such a mockery has to place in my world."**

"And YOU don't have a place in ours!"

Someone yelled out, someone who wasn't with the rest of them. Yaldabaoth was caught off guard by the sudden voice, before an even more sudden blast of dark magic hit him in his face. While he wasn't particularly hurt by this… it was enough to catch him off guard.

"Was that…!?" Akira turned around, as he saw two figured running forward.

"**Who dares defy my will…!?" **Yaldabaoth called out, staring at the two people running forth. They jumped into the air, soaring past everyone else, and landing in front of Akira. Toya and Akechi… they barely made it in time, standing in front of everyone else.

"Toya! And… Akechi!? When did you two…"

"We'll explain later…" Akechi said, keeping his eyes on Yaldabaoth. "First, we're taking this false god down!"

"The rest of you just stay back and try to recollect your strength!" Toya yelled out as he ripped off his mask. "Mephisto!" He yelled out, as suddenly, Mephisto appeared behind him, surrounded by a purple flame.

"T-Toya…?" A weak voice called out from behind him. Toya turned his head and saw Makoto on the ground, struggling to get up… nearly unconscious. Toya quickly got close to her, taking her hand.

"H-Hey, easy!" Toya said, holding her hand a bit tighter. "You've done enough… okay? Let us handle this now."

"Where… were you…?"

"I was… in my Palace."

"But… h-how…? How did you get there…?"

"...I'll explain everything later, okay?" Toya clenched Makoto's hand a bit tighter, before slowly putting it back to the ground. "Please… just save your strength, okay? I promise I'll answer everything after I end this." Feeling herself get weaker, Makoto didn't verbally respond… she simply closed her eyes and nodded, as Toya turned around once more.

"Since when did you control that Persona…?" Akira asked, looking towards Toya.

"You wouldn't believe what we went through… if you think my change was drastic, you have no idea what he went through." Toya said, looking towards Akechi. He smirked, before taking a hold of his own mask, quickly ripping it off and summoning his own Persona as a red flame appeared around him.

"What the hell did we miss…!?" Ryuji asked from the back, still trying to pick himself up.

"**More rebels have shown themselves. Tell me… why do you desire to throw your life away like this?"**

"It's not throwing our lives away! We're just not gonna let you treat us like we're some puppets!" Akechi yelled, staring Yaldabaoth down.

"You want us to conform to your sorry excuse for justice… like hell we'll do that! We're humans, so we're gonna fight for what we believe in, no matter what!" Toya stood by Akechi, yelling out alongside him.

"**Foolish children of man… very well. Those who wish to defy a god shall be punished all the same." **

"I'll cover you two…" Akira said, standing behind the two of them. "You guys think you can handle this?"

"Absolutely." Akechi responded, sounding as confident as ever.

"I know we can." Toya sounded just as confident as Akechi did, as he held onto his mask once more. Akechi and Akira did the same, as three flames, purple, red, and blue, all rose into the air, engulfing them. The time was now… they were about to face their greatest challenge ever. The Wild Cards… against the malevolent god that had been treating them like pawns for months on end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at last, the time has come. Toya, Akechi, and Akira... facing off against the malevolent god himself, Yaldabaoth.
> 
> It's weird to think about. At the beginning of this story, I doubt anyone could have EVER predicted that somehing like this was going to happen at the end. But... here we are. They're all fighting against the final boss together, while everyone else desperately tries to regain their strength.
> 
> "Are you skipping the Twins fight and Igor being holy Grail entirely?"
> 
> All of that happened while Toya and Akechi were going through Toya's Palace. Time was still moving while they were running through the Palace, and during that timeframe, the Phantom Thieves got all the way to their fight against Yaldabaoth, including when they all got blasted at the very end, which is when Toya and Akechi finally made it to them.
> 
> This story is going to end soon. More than likely it will be over before Christmas at this rate... it's surreal. For everyone who's been around for a while, thank you. Writing this has been amazing, and I hope you all enjoy this final act.
> 
> And, one (probably) final time, here are the stats, and the Confidants:
> 
> Mephisto  
LV 69
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Devil Trigger - Colossal Gun damage to 1 foe.  
Hell's Lullaby - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Thunder Reign - Severe Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Phata Rhei - Severe Wind damage to 1 foe.  
Atomic Flare - Severe Nuclear damage to 1 foe.  
Charge - Next physical attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Concentrate - Next magic attack inflicts 2.5x damage.  
Heat Riser - Buff attack, defense, and agility of 1 ally for 3 turns.
> 
> Mastema  
LV 69
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Brave Blade - Colossal Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Heaven's Requiem - Severe Bless damage to all foes.  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Diamond Dust - Severe Ice damage to 1 foe.  
Psycho Force - Severe Psy damage to 1 foe.  
Tetrakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Physical/Gun attack.  
Makarakarn - Erect shield on 1 ally to repel 1 Magical attack.  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Orpheus-Picaro  
LV 63
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cadenza - Restore 50% HP of party.  
Inferno - Severe Fire damage to 1 foe.  
Maragidyne - Heavy Fire damage to all foes.  
Matarukaja - Buff party attack power for 3 turns.
> 
> Izanagi-Picaro  
LV 64
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Cross Slash - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe 2x, high accuracy.  
Ziodyne - Heavy Electric damage to 1 foe.  
Wild Thunder - Severe Electric damage to all foes.  
Marakukaja - Increase party's Defense for 3 turns.
> 
> Arsene  
LV 65
> 
> Skills:
> 
> Negative Pile - Heavy Physical damage to 1 foe.  
Eigaon - Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.  
Abyssal Wings - Severe Curse damage to all foes.  
Debilitate - Decrease 1 foe's Attack, Defense and Agility for 3 turns.
> 
> Yaldabaoth* [The JESTER] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Akira Kurusu [The FOOL] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Makoto Niijima [The HIGH PRIESTESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Haru Okumura [The EMPRESS] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Goro Akechi [JUSTICE] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Sae Niijima [JUDGEMENT] - Rank 10 (MAX)  
Ken Kazero [The AEON] - Rank 10 (MAX)
> 
> *Let me clear this up real quick. In the original game, even though Joker spends the entire game talking to Yaldabaoth while he's disguised as Igor, the Fool Confidant is still with the real Igor. We know this because it says that Joker becomes a Velvet attendant in the description of the Rank 10 Confidant. However, in this case, the true Igor and Lavenza never called out to Toya. Instead, Yaldabaoth was playing tricks on his mind, leading him along.


	88. Judgement Day

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Holy Grail Temple**

"**Rebels who dare defy my rule… You shall perish."** Yaldabaoth's godly tone echoes throughout the sky, as if a means to intimidate the Wild Cards. However, after everything that had happened… they were far beyond being intimidated. It was time for them to take their final stand- and they were all well aware of that. "**Here it comes…"** Yaldabaoth concentrated his magic, but… Toya and Akechi couldn't see any kind of attack.

"Up there!" Akira yelled out, point up to the sky. Toya and Akechi looked up and saw a large amount of concentrated energy, taking the form of arrows and beginning to dive down towards them.

"Shield us, Mastema!" Akechi yelled out as he ripped off his mask. The red flame burned around him, as Mastema appeared and erected a magic barrier. The arrows hit against the barrier and were reflected straight back towards Yaldabaoth. The magic hit him directly, but… he didn't even flinch.

"Completely unphased by his own attack…?" Toya said, looking closer. "He's even more durable than he looks… we're not gonna get anywhere from just chipping away at him. I can can hit him hard, but you guys are gonna need to cover me if I'm gonna be able to do that!"

"You really think you can handle that…?"

"Trust him, Akira." Akechi said to him, then looked towards Toya. "We'll get his attention. You focus on hitting him with everything you have!"

"Leave it to me!" Toya yelled out, before using a gust of wind magic to get himself away from them, creating distance between him and everyone else- just enough distance for him to be able to power up a blast without getting stopped.

"Orpheus!" Akira quickly ripped off his mask and summoned Orpheus-Picaro, quickly conjuring a blast of fire and shooting it straight at Yaldabaoth. Yaldabaoth barely took any damage from the fire, however, this definitely got his attention.

"Your focus should be on me!" Akechi yelled as he summoned Mastema, running forth and trying to directly attack Yaldabaoth with a powerful physical attack. However, Yaldabaoth sees right through this, and with quick reaction time, is able to grow an arm, and materialize a gun in it, seemingly out of nowhere. He uses the gun to completely block Akechi's attack, which throws Akechi for a bit of a loop. "A gun…!? When did he get that!?"

"He's able to materialize different kinds of weapons, and he gets… weird kinds of attacks with all of them." Akira explained, turning his head to Akechi.

"...Weird? What do you mean by that?"

"He attacks using mankind's deadly sins… and they all have different side effects."

"**I release upon you the deadly sin of lust." **Yaldabaoth's voice cut the two of them off, as they turned towards him. "**The insanity of mankind shall bring forth the demise…"** He lifted his gun up into the air and took aim at Akira, ready to fire.

"Move!" Akechi yelled to Akira, before suddenly pushing him away. However, by pushing Akira out of the way, he moved directly into Yaldabaoth's line of fire, and was hit directly. While the attack didn't necessarily hurt too badly, it… made Akechi feel different. His mind has in a fog… and he couldn't control it at all. He fell to his knees as his mind drifted off into something completely different.

"Lust…" Akira looked at Akechi. His cheeks had begun to burn red, and he wasn't even moving. This was the effect of that attack… Akechi couldn't control his mind anymore. "It's now or never, Toya!"

"It's NOW!" Toya yelled, with a purple flame surrounding him. "Mephisto, ATTACK!" After charging up as much as he possibly could, Toya used Mephisto's gun to fire a massive bullet straight at Yaldabaoth while he wasn't looking. Yaldabaoth actually flinched and recoiled back a bit once the bullet hit him, indicating that he did some actual damage to him.

"**You dare to strike me?" **Yaldabaoth said, turning towards Toya and pointing his gun towards him. "**I release upon you the deadly sin of greed. The resentment of mankind shall bring forth ruin…" **Finishing his speech, Yaldabaoth fired directly at Toya, with the power of greed. However, Toya was ready for Yaldabaoth to retaliate, and using his wind magic, he was able to quickly evade the attack.

"What's wrong!? I thought you were a god! You can't even hit a human!?" Toya yelled, taunting him while soaring through the air, evading all of his attacks.

"**A mere human should not dare to taunt a god. This is your punishment." **Yaldabaoth said in a much more calm tone, trying to strike Toya once again, but to no avail. Toya was too quick with the use of his wind magic, Yaldabaoth couldn't do anything to him. Fortunately for him, however, Toya couldn't retaliate while he was soaring through the air. This meant that eventually, Toya would tire himself out, while Yaldabaoth would still be perfectly fine and able to finish him off.

Meanwhile, back on the platform they were originally standing on, Akechi was finally coming to his senses. He held on to his head for a moment, regaining control of his mind and looking around, getting a feel for his surroundings once more. He looked up and saw Yaldabaoth putting all of his focus into Toya, trying to strike him.

"Toya! I have to help him…!" Akechi ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona once more, gritting his teeth and glaring at Yaldabaoth.

"Akechi, wait!" Akira called out to him, stopping him for a moment. "A regular attack won't do anything to him, regardless of if he's expecting it or not! The main body is too strong, we can't put a dent into it ourselves!"

"I know, but…!" Akechi clenched his fist while staring at the godly figure, before… suddenly, he got an idea. "Wait. You said we can't put a dent into the _main_ body, right?"

"Yeah… why…?" Akira was confused, but Akechi… he seemed more convicted than ever, for some reason. He stared at Yaldabaoth, and more specifically, at the arm he used to hold the gun. It was much thinner than the main body, meaning it was much less durable.

"That's it…!" With his Persona still summoned, Akechi used ice magic to create a massive, dense wall in front of him. "Stay here! I got an idea!" Akechi pulled out the hookshot Toya gave him, and fired it towards the top of the ice wall. He zipped towards the top and got a footing on it, getting much closer to Yaldabaoth- and more importantly, much closer to his arms, while still being out of his line of sight. "Aim for the arm, Mastema! Break it off!" He yelled, commanding his Persona and aiming for Yaldabaoth's arm, and… just like he thought, it worked perfectly. He broke the arm right off, and it fell down towards the ground, including the gun.

"**What…!? Impossible!" **Yaldabaoth turned towards Akechi and saw that it was him who cut his arm off. And, in the moment of rage where he was fixated entirely on Akechi, he let Toya out of sight- just for a few seconds, but that's all he needed.

"Now's my chance!" Toya used his hookshot to get back to the main platform, and then used his wind magic once more… only this time, it wasn't on himself- instead, it was on Yaldabaoth's fallen arm, with the gun still in its hand. He quickly raised it into the air and held it above his head, with a smug grin on his face. "HEY! You think you're so tough!? Then try stopping THIS!" Toya yelled, before firing the broken arm straight towards Yaldabaoth, making sure that the gun specifically hit him. Judging by the dent it left in him, and the fact that Yaldabaoth recoiled once again after getting hit, it was safe to say that he definitely felt the impact of it. Akechi used the chance to zip back towards Toya and Akira, getting in between them.

"Good thinking, using his own weapon against him." Akechi said, getting up on his feet.

"We're doing good so far! He's taken a good amount of damage… if we keep this up, we can beat him for sure!" Toya yelled out to his allies, before taking a look back to the Phantom Thieves, who were still behind them. They were on the ground and only looked half conscious… but they seemed to be watching still. Toya felt a bit guilty… perhaps if he didn't disappear for so long, he would've been here sooner… to help them.

"Don't worry. They're tough. I have faith that they'll all be fine." Akira said, trying to reassure Toya.

"I know they will. I just…" Toya closed his eyes, sighing. "I wish things didn't have to happen like this, you know? Maybe if I just acted different… maybe things wouldn't look so bad right now."

"Not to break up the touching moment of self reflection, but…" Akechi spoke in an uneasy voice, still looking at Yaldabaoth. "He's looking pretty angry…!" Toya and Akira turned back towards Yaldabaoth, who had spread his arms out.

"**Children of man… why do you resist my rule? Why do you insist on rebelling against the one true form of law in this world?"**

"True form of law!? You're just some self-entitled prick! You don't care about humans, you just care about stroking your ego and making yourself look all-powerful like the false god you are!" Toya could feel a bit of Osiris's influence in his mind as he spoke, but… he didn't really care. Osiris's feelings towards Yaldabaoth might have been stronger than his, but they felt the same regardless.

"**Humanity is so weak… and so delusional to think that I could possibly be a false god. Allow me to demonstrate." **Yaldabaoth grew an extra arm once more, and this time, instead of a gun, he materialized a massive bell. "**I release upon you the deadly sin of vanity. The fraudulence of mankind shall bring forth ruin..." **With that said, Yaldabaoth began to ring the bell in his hands, causing a loud noise to echo throughout the sky. The Wild Cards all held on to their heads, covering their ears and trying to block out the sound, but that had very little success. The sound-based attack affected all 3 of them, and as a result, their bodies were… painted pitch black, much to Toya and Akechi's surprise.

"What… is this…?" Akechi said, looking at what had happened to his body due to the attack.

"Vanity… this is just like what happened against Madarame. We need to be careful- his attacks are gonna hurt a lot more if we're like this!"

"**Bow down!" **Yaldabaoth's voice overpowered Akira's, as he once again began to charge up magic, trying to hit them with arrows from above, just like last time. However, things were a bit different this time. There were many, many more in the sky this time- rather than just a few big ones, there were several small ones, all pointed towards them.

"My barreir won't be able to block all of those! We need a new plan for dealing with this!"

"Mephisto!" Toya quickly summoned his Persona, and then looked down at the platform they were standing on- specifically the part of it that was closest to Yaldabaoth that none of them had been standing on so far. Toya pointed towards it, gritting his teeth. "Break that part of the platform off!" He commanded, as Mephisto created a massive, blue explosion, blowing part of the platform straight off. He kept his eyes on the platform, still keeping Mephisto out. "Bring the rubble close and shield us with it!" Just as he commanded, using wind magic, the broken part of the platform was brought just above them, acting as a shield from the arrows that were above them.

"Now! While Toya's keeping that up, attack him!" Akira told Akechi, as he ripped off his own mask and summoned Orpheus-Picaro again, buffing Akechi.

"Leave it to me! Mastema!" Akechi followed suite and summoned his own Persona as well. From underneath the broken platform, Akechi fired a massive blast of light energy, aimed directly at Yaldabaoth. The blast hit directly, and when it did, the impact was enough to cause Yaldabaoth to stop firing off arrows from the sky. Toya grit his teeth, struggling to keep the platform up in the air for much longer.

"You wanna break this damn thing so badly…!?" Toya said, as a purple flame appeared around him. "Then HERE!" Using his wind magic, Toya hurled the broken platform at Yaldabaoth, hitting him directly. The platform broke in half as it smacked against his head, but… he could tell that Yaldabaoth felt that. They were doing fine… and they had a good pace. If they kept this up, they'd actually be able to win, against a _god_.

"**Foolish mortals… I release upon you the deadly sin of envy. The resentment of mankind shall bring forth ruin." **Yaldabaoth was preparing yet another attack using one of the deadly sins- but this time, Akira had an idea.

"Both of you, cover your ears! I'll handle this!" Akira called out to them, while holding on to his mask. "Come, Izanagi!" He quickly unmasked and summoned Izanagi-Picaro, then stared at Yaldabaoth's bell. He wanted until it began moving… and as soon as it did, Akira unleashed a powerful thunderbolt- but it wasn't aimed at Yaldabaoth. Instead, he aimed for the platform that they were all standing on, making sure not to accidentally hit anyone. When the bolt crashed against the ground, it made a sound that sounded like a massive explosion- which completely drowned out the sound of Yaldabaoth's bell. Since nobody was able to hear it due to the fact that it got drowned out by Akira's attack, nobody was affected at all. Yaldabaoth's attack was completely wasted… but Akira was well aware that such a trick wouldn't work more than once.

"Akechi, make ice blocks! Toya, you lift it up into the air!" Akira commanded the two of them, and without even questioning him, they followed orders. Akechi created blocks of ice, and Toya lifted them up into the air with his wind magic. "Here goes!" Akira fired his grappling hook at one of the blocks of ice, progressively making his way up towards Yaldabaoth's bell. When he got in close, he ripped off his mask one more time and summoned Izanagi-Picaro, staring at the bell with more conviction than ever. "Cross… SLASH!" He yelled, as he attacked the bell directly. The bell broke apart instantly, breaking into hundreds of little pieces, beyond repair.

"**Insolent human…!" **Yaldabaoth tried to quickly strike Akira with the same magical arrows he had been using since the beginning of the fight.

"Back here!" Akechi yelled out, quickly creating a wall of ice. Akira turned around and fired his grappling hook at it, zipping towards it and narrowly avoiding Yaldabaoth's attack. He landed down in front of Toya and Akechi, looking up at Akechi.

"Thanks… that was a little too close." Akira took a deep breath, before standing up again.

"So we've dealt with a gun, and a bell. Do you know if he has more weapons?" Toya asked, looking towards Yaldabaoth.

"Yeah, he has two. One of them is a book, and the other is-"

"**This is why man is doomed... petty rebels like yourselves continue to try and change the direction of the world, even though it's against the wishes of the people. I will personally see to it that you are all punished for your crimes." **As Yaldabaoth spoke, he materialized yet another arm for himself, and created another weapon… only this time, it was a new one. Instead of being a gun, or a bell, or even the book that Akira was talking about… it was a massive sword, one that was even bigger than the Wild Cards all put together.

"That answers that…" Akira looked up towards the malevolent god, gritting his teeth. Yaldabaoth pulled his new sword to his side, before attempting to cut through all three of them at once.

"Mastema!" Akechi quickly summoned his Persona and swung its sword at Yaldabaoth's. The blades clashed with each other, and while it _did_ start a power struggle… everyone knew it wouldn't last long. Akechi might have been strong, but Yaldabaoth was a _god_. He had no chance against him, not alone.

"We need to help him!"

"I've got it!" Toya quickly unmasked and summoned Mephisto once more. He grit his teeth and glared at Yaldabaoth, before suddenly, a thunderbolt came from the sky that was aimed straight for the arm that Yaldabaoth held the sword with. The attack hit directly, and caused Yaldabaoth to recoil and draw his blade back. Most other attacks from Toya would have completely broken the arm off, but… unfortunately, this was the magic that he was the least versed in, since most of the time, every other attack was stronger. However, this was the only attack that he was in range to hit, so he had to settle for just forcing Yaldabaoth of him.

"**I release upon you the deadly sin of gluttony. The passion of mankind shall bring forth ruin…" **Yaldabaoth instantly spoke, as if he wasn't even phased by the thunderbolt that hit him directly.

"Gluttony… DODGE!" Akira yelled out, jumping back. Toya and Akechi couldn't react fast enough to Akira's command, and as a result, a sudden wave of gluttony hit them directly. They were pushed back by the wave that went through the air, but it didn't necessarily hurt them, it just made them feel… a bit weaker than they did.

"What is this… feeling…? I feel so much weaker…" Toya said, looking at his hands.

"It's gluttony. It's a temporary effect, but while it lasts… you probably won't be able to summon your Personas."

"No Personas…!? Then how the hell are we supposed to fight him!?"

"Just try distracting him! You can still use your hookshots, right? I didn't get hit by it, so if you can keep him distracted, I can get a good hit off still!"

"Hang on, _distract_ him? How the hell are we gonna do that without Personas!?"

"_**Let me handle that.**_" Before anyone else could answer his question, Toya heard Osiris calling out to him. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to talk back to Osiris.

"_Wait, what? How the hell are you gonna distract him?_"

"_**He's the one who created me, remember? I can distract him for a bit- at least long enough for that damned Fool to get his attack off.**_"

"_...Fine. You better not try anything crazy!_"

"_**Please. Even if I wanted to, I can't while under the effects of gluttony.**_" With that said, Toya took a deep breath, and surrendered his mind.

"T-Toya?" Akechi said, reaching out to him.

"**I'll distract him. You two just stay back." **Toya's voice sounded… noticeably different than it did before- it almost sounded… like Osiris's. And then, when he opened his eyes… Akechi instantly realized what was happening. There was a golden outline around his eyes… and even though Akechi was nervous- he understood what was happening.

"You heard him. Akira, get ready to attack!"

"Right!" Akira took a few steps back and unmasked, summoning his Persona and waiting for the right moment. Meanwhile, Akechi turned around, staring at Toya- or at least, at his body… as he slowly approached Yaldabaoth.

"**So this is **_**your**_ **true form." **He said, staring up at Yaldabaoth. "**Your disguise got exposed then, didn't it? How did you screw **_**that**_ **one up?"**

"**...?! How would a mortal like you know of my disguise?"**

"**Mortal? I remember you creating me to be much more than just **_**that.**_" Yaldabaoth was confused for a moment, but then… he took a closer look at Toya- specifically, at his eyes.

"**I see. So it is **_**you.**_ **I see you have failed in the single task you were given. I expected as much of you."**

"**You… **_**expected**_ **me to fail?"**

"**Of course. You were created to have a power close to mine… however, you were never meant to reach it. You were intentionally created with that flaw." **

"**You… created me… intentionally flawed? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" **He yelled, clenching his fists tightly.

"**Did you really think someone who was made to be so close to a human would ever gain the power of the gods? You were created to fulfill your purpose… and then join the mindless masses underneath me. In short, you were nothing more than just a puppet."**

"**A puppet…" **He paused. Then he chuckled- a chuckle that turned into fully blown laughter.

"**Hm…?"**

"**You know… I've been conflicted. Ever since I lost against that damned Jester… I thought that was it. I thought I would become a puppet at that point. But, seeing now that I've been a puppet for this long…" **He began laughing again, before giving off a sinister grin. "**I suddenly feel more free than ever in my life!" **He yelled, as a gunblade materialized in his hands. "**And all of that freedom… it's gonna be used to tear you APART!"**

"**And what can **_**you**_ **do? Your power cannot match my rule." **

"**You really haven't figured it out yet? I don't need to be stronger than you on my own anymore." **Just as he spoke, he heard the sound of flames bursting. It was Akira, summoning his Persona and being fully prepared to attack. "**I'm not standing alone anymore!" **He yelled, now that he finally finished stalling. He quickly jumped away, and gave Akira the spotlight.

"Ravage him, Arsene!" Akira unleashed all of his power at once, sending the most powerful blast of dark magic that he could manage. Yaldabaoth tried to block the attack with his sword, but it was far too much for him to simply block. The attack broke straight through his sword, and still managed to damage him, knocking him back. It seemed like they were starting to deal some real damage to him now.

"_**There. My work here is done.**_" Toya took control over his mind again, causing the golden outline around his eyes to disappear.

"_I… I'm sorry you had to hear everything he had to say._"

"_**Don't apologize. Just beat him, damn it.**_"

"_You're as cold as ever._" Toya closed his eyes, softly chuckling. "_I'm glad you're on our side now._"

"_**Yeah… me too, Jest- I mean… Toya.**_"

"You still feeling like yourself?" Akechi asked, with clear concern in his voice.

"Yeah. I'm feeling great." Toya turned back towards Yaldabaoth, who looked… hurt, and angry.

"**I've been disrespected for the last time by you three." **Yaldabaoth materialized one final arm for himself, and in it… this time, he had a book. The book opened on its own, and began to flip through pages on its own. "**I release upon you the deadly sin of wrath. The passion of humans shall bring forth ruin…" **After he spoke, the book stopped moving pages, and a black mist came down from the sky, aimed directly at Toya. The attack caught him off guard, and the mist surrounded him.

"Wrath…!? Hey, what does that do!?"

"Calm down. It's nothing too bad. It'll make him go berserk, but… he won't suffer anything else. If anything, it'll just make him more aggressive… it's perfectly fi-"

"**I release upon you the deadly sin of pride. The ingratitude of mankind shall bring forth ruin." **suddenly, the book started moving pages again… and then, Yaldabaoth had a weird glow around him because of it.

"Okay, forget everything I just said. _Now_ things are really bad!"

"Why? What does pride do…!?"

"It's a barrier. It's gonna absorb weaker hits, and reflect the first strong hit straight back at the original attacker…!"

"What!?" Akechi looked towards Toya, as the mist around him faded. His body was twitching… and then he ripped off his mask, causing a purple flame to engulf his body. "Toya, focus! Don't let him get to your head! If you attack him now, you're only gonna hurt yourself!" Akechi pleaded, and… for a moment, Toya didn't even move. He just looked towards the ground, staying completely still, apart from his body occasionally twitching. Things were quiet… until suddenly, a pink beam rose around Toya's body, and without any warning, he began rushing towards Yaldabaoth, not even stopping to look at Akira or Akechi.

"Toya!" Akira yelled out to him, but… he couldn't possibly stop him. "He's gonna kill himself if he hits too hard! We've gotta do something!"

"Mephisto…" Toya called on his Persona, as he used a gust of wind magic to push himself into the air. He stared at Yaldabaoth- more specifically, directly at his head. "OBLITERATE HIM!" He roared, before suddenly, Mephisto shot a massive bullet directly for Yaldabaoth's glowing head. The bullet quickly ripped through the air, quickly making contact with the barrier surrounding Yaldabaoth.

"Mastema!" Akechi quickly ripped off his mask and stared at Toya, a state of pure panic overcoming him. "Shield him, NOW!" He yelled, as he quickly erected a physical shield around Toya. Just as it formed, the bullet started flying straight back… and smashed against the barrier Toya had around him. It took a moment… and then suddenly, the bullet went straight back at Yaldabaoth. With his barrier no longer surrounding him, the bullet hit him directly in the head- dealing massive damage- more than any other attack thus far. Once the attack made contact, Toya slowly fell back to the ground, landing on his knees and panting. Akira and Akechi ran over to him, picking him back up.

"T-Thanks…" Toya took deep breaths as he got back to his feet. The way he felt… it was similar to when Osiris influenced him in the past, only… it was even more violent.

"**So… this is the power who resists ruin…" **Yaldabaoth said, recovering from the hit that he took. "**My control shall not bow down to ruin. My control is the ultimate truth of this world." **

"You and your control can go straight to hell! We're not gonna sit back and let a false god control human lives any longer!"

"**The abyss of the unconscious yearns for the ultimate ruin… You have no means of escape, humans." **After he spoke, out of nowhere, Yaldabaoth regained all of the arms that the trio had previous destroyed- which included the weapons they were originally holding. Then, a moment later, they all show out dark energy… four beams of dark energy, shooting at each other and creating a sphere of energy… one that only seemed to get bigger with every second.

"This again…!" Akira's voice was filled with fear, as he took a step back. "This is the attack that destroyed all of us last time…"

"So you have no idea how to stop it…!?" Akechi's voice had just as much fear in it, as he processed what Akira said.

"No. He unleashed it on us last time… and… well, you can see for yourself how everyone ended up…"

"What are we gonna do then!? We can't tank a hit like that!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Toya said, slowly walking forward. "If him getting that attack off is the difference between us winning and losing this fight…" Toya gripped his mask tightly, before ripping it off of his face, as a purple flame appeared around him, burning brighter than ever. "Then we just have to finish him off before he gets it off!" Toya clenched his fists tightly as a blue beam rose around his body, signifying that he was concentrating all of his magic at once.

"If you're serious… then I support you, fully." Akechi stood next to Toya, as he unmasked as well. As he did, a red flame burned around him, just as brightly as Toya's was.

"You two are insane…" Akira looked at them with shock, but then… he sighed, and smiled. "You're right. It's not over yet!" Standing beside the two of them, Akira ripped off his mask as well, as his own blue flame began to burn around him. The three flames swirled around each other, burning brightly and shining throughout the sky. This was it… their ultimate attack- all of their magic at once. This was the only change they had at winning this. And, while they were all admittedly nervous… they were all convicted.

"**Punishment shall strike you all… As you pass through the gates of destruction…" **Yaldabaoth fully prepared himself, before suddenly, the sphere of dark energy erupted, shooting a massive blast from its core towards the trio of Wild Cards, who still refused to falter, no matter the odds.

"ARSENE!"

"MASTEMA!"

"MEPHISTO!" They all screamed as loud as they could, as they fired off their strongest blasts- using all of the strength that they could muster. The blasts all collided with each other, dark and light magic coming together and pushing against Yaldabaoth's Rays of Control. The trio put all of their power into these attacks… every single bit of power they had left. They fought hard, and used every bit of force that they possible could, but… even with all of that… it wasn't enough. It wasn't even close to being enough. Yaldabaoth's power… it was far too much for the three of them to handle, even combined. His blast engulfed the other three… and then hit the Wild Cards directly. When it did, they fell down to their knees, exhausted and bruised… and barely even able to move.

"It's… just like last time…" Akira struggled to move… he tried, but… his body completely gave out. He couldn't move a muscle, despite how hard he tried. This was the second time he had been hit by this… he couldn't possibly have any energy left.

"That power… what kind of madness is this…!?" Toya had a bit more energy, and he felt like he could possibly get up, but… there was no point. He knew that Yaldabaoth would just knock him back down.

"...No. I won't… let you win… that easily…!" Akechi said, smashing his fist against the ground. "You're no god… you're just a puppet master… pulling everyone's strings to force your ideal way of life!" He slowly got up to his feet, staring at Yaldabaoth with blood trailing down his cheeks, breathing hard. "I don't care how strong you are… you're not gonna win against us!"

"**What drivel…" **Yaldabaoth's voice echoed throughout the sky, as a lightning bolt fell down from the heavens, striking Akechi and sending him back, but he still stayed on his own two feet.

"What the hell are you trying…!?" Toya turned his head towards Akechi, staring at him. "Y-You're just gonna get yourself killed!"

"He'll kill us all… if I do nothing…!" Akechi reached for his mask and took it off of his face. A weak flame appeared around his feet as he summoned his Persona. "Mastema… attack…!" He called out, but… he couldn't even muster up the energy to cast another spell. Yaldabaoth laughed in response, before casting yet another bolt of lightning… only this time, it sent Akechi much further… in fact, it sent him flying off of the platform, as he began plummeting to the ground below.

"AKECHI!" Toya yelled, mustering his strength and trying to get over to the edge that Akechi was thrown off of. He saw Akechi pull out the hookshot and fire it towards the platform, but… it just barely didn't reach. However, just when Toya saw that it wasn't going to reach, he stuck his arm out and took a hold of it, keeping Akechi in place… or at least, trying. However, the weight of Akechi's body… Toya could barely hold it up. By holding on to the chain, Toya was dragged down, as he began to slip off of the platform. As his feet were dragged off of the platform, he grabbed on to the edge of it with his free hand, still holding on to the chain of the hookshot in the other.

"Toya…!"

"H-Hold on…! I can…" Toya grit his teeth and mustered as much strength as he could, trying to pull himself back up onto the platform… but he couldn't. Akechi saw Toya struggling to pull him up… and then he looked below, at the drop… the distance between where he was suspended in the air and the ground… it was even more than he originally thought.

"...Toya. You… you have to… let me go…"

"Wh-What…!? No… No, I won't!"

"Toya… if you don't, then both of us will-"

"I said NO!" Toya cried out as he struggled to pull the two of them up. Akechi looked up at Toya again, and… noticed something. Toya had… tears, streaming down his cheeks, and when Akechi listened listened closely… he could hear the sound of him sobbing. "It's not fair…! You… You just got your redemption! We fought against both of our darknesses incarnated together… so why,,, why should you have to die…!?"

"T-Toya…"

"I've lost so much… I'm… not gonna lose you too…! So… that's why… I won't...!" A purple flame appeared on Toya's face as he tried to pull the two of them up again. His body shook in pain with every passing moment, as he tried desperately to pull both himself and Akechi up. His tears kept flowing down his cheeks, dropping down onto Akechi's hair.

"...I don't deserve to know someone like you, Toya." Akechi said, closing his eyes. "Ever since I was born… I felt like a failure… like I was cursed. I felt like I ruined everything I touched… and… it awakened a darkness inside of me. I wanted to ruin everything… until there was nothing left to ruin… if you hadn't found me, I probably would have ended up like the cognition of me that we saw in your Palace…" Akechi coughed, as he began to sob a bit as well. "But… even after everything I did… even when it directly hurt you… you still didn't give up on me. You were the one to save me… even though I deserved nothing less than to die for my crimes. I… I shouldn't have ever gotten the chance to redeem myself, but even still, you made sure that I got that chance… and you stayed with me the entire time, making sure I never lost my way again…" Akechi softly chuckled through his tears as he opened his eyes again, looking up at Toya. "Thank you… so much, Toya. I didn't expect the final arc of my life to be spent fighting against a god… with the one person who ever truly cared about me." Akechi could barely even speak… his voice was cracking more and more with every single word that came from his mouth.

"A-Akechi…! Don't…!"

"Don't worry. I know you'll figure a way out of this. You'll save the day, right? Just like you always do. You did it with me… and now, you'll do it for everyone… I'm sure of that."

"Y-You don't have to do this! I… I figured everything else out, didn't I!? I… I can figure this out too…!"

"Save your strength. You'll need everything to kill a god, won't you?" Akechi chuckled one last time, with tears still rolling down his cheeks, as he stared into Toya's eyes one last time. "I'll be watching you… from wherever I end up, Toya. Thank you… and… goodbye…" With those final words, after closing his eyes… Akechi let go of the handle to the hookshot, and began to fall down to the ground below.

"AKECHI!" Toya screamed as loud as he could, a look of desperation and shock on his face. He stared at Akechi's face as he fell… he looked… peaceful. If he was going to die in any way… this is how he wanted to do it. Without the weight of Akechi dragging him down, Toya was finally able to pull himself up to the top, along with his father's hookshot, which was still in his hand. He got onto the platform and looked down at the ground… the fall was so far… there was no way Akechi could have possibly survived. With tears streaming down his face more than ever, he closed his eyes and raised his head to the sky, and began to scream his lungs out. Yet another person he cared about… he couldn't save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that... Goro Akechi has met his demise. He lived as a villain for so long... and eventually, he died a hero. He went through quite the character arc in this story, including fighting against a manifestation of his own darkness. In a way, he stole the show for these past few chapters... and developed in a way that never really happened through the original game. To be perfectly honest- I didn't really like his character in the original game. I thought he had a lot of potential, but it just felt so... wasted. However, after rewriting his character arc in this story, and putting him in different situations... I've found myself somewhat attached to his character now. Writing his death brought me to tears, to be perfectly honest. It's probably the most emotional thing I've ever written- and one of the most emotional moments I'll ever write in my life. But... I'm still proud of what I did to his character, personally. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
> 
> But now, of course, comes the aftermath of Akechi's death. The Phantom Thieves are barely even conscious anymore, and Toya... Toya's more emotional than he's been in a long time- on top of all the damage he took from Yaldabaoth's last attack. Will he be able to finish things off? Or will he join his family, as well as Akechi, in the afterlife? You'll have to wait and see...
> 
> As one final side note, I read a review yesterday about someone being confused about something that happened in an earlier chapter, specifically chapter 14. I'll read it out to you here:
> 
> "I know this is a very old chapter, but I hope the author will come back and edit it.
> 
> He had his protagonist destroy Kaneshiro's camera, and therefore the pictures he took of Makoto. But then he starts the chapter complaining about said picture and the debt they somehow owe Kaneshiro."
> 
> When I originally wrote this chapter, I was trying to imply what Kaneshiro would do hypothetically speaking, if he still had the pictures of Makoto. However... reading back on it, I can see that I really didn't clarify that at all, and it's totally understandable why this was confusing to this person, as well as anyone else. With that said, I've updated the beginning of that chapter to flow better, and to make a bit more sense overall. They're still in a bit of a rush to finish the Palace due to the fact that Kaneshiro's knew who the two of them were, so I don't think any intensity will be lost. Overall, this should be a positive change in all regards.
> 
> I read every single review I get, no matter what chapter it's from. So if anyone wants to leave a review on something that happened in a specific chapter that happened a while ago, please feel free to leave a review on whatever chapter you want. I'll respond however I can.
> 
> (Even though responding to reviews will be tricky once I've finished this fic, but I'll figure something out.)


	89. Free Will & Choice

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Holy Grail's Temple**

Seconds passed. Every single second that passed felt like an eternity. Not just for Toya, but for everyone. The Phantom Thieves had regained enough consciousness to see what was happening… to see what happened to Akechi. To hear Toya's response… the screams of anguish and horror… it was terrifying, in a sense. Everything seemed so hopeless all of a sudden… fighting against a god… they felt like fools for thinking that they could ever win against that.

"What… do we do now…?" Makoto said, still trying to pick herself up, but… she was having little success, and the threat of Yaldabaoth's next attack looming over her… it intimidated her.

"We can't… give up here…!" Ryuji punched the ground, glaring at Yaldabaoth and trying to move, but clearly, he couldn't.

"**Hmph. Fools. Save your breath and surrender to the oblivion that awaits. Lest you wish to suffer the same fate as your fallen comrade." **Yaldabaoth's condescending tone echoes down to everyone, sending a chill down their spines as they stared at what could very well be their demise.

"_It doesn't… it doesn't make sense… Why…? Why would he try that…!?_" While Yaldabaoth bad talked Akechi and scared everyone for their lives, Toya was… stuck. He was stuck in his own head, trying to process everything that had just happened. "_His redemption… his hope… Why would he throw everything away like that!?_"

"_**Focus, damn it!**_" Osiris yelled out in Toya's mind. The sound caught him off guard, causing him to let out a soft gasp.

"_Osiris…!?_"

"_**You think he died for you to sit here and cry to yourself!? Surrendering yourself to the will of some faceless god!? You're better than this! HE knew that!**_"

"_..._"

"_**Are you gonna disappoint him? Are you gonna let his death be in vain?**_"

"_No…_" Toya clenched his fist tightly. There were tears still streaming down his cheeks- but it was different now. His sorrow wasn't overwhelming him… he felt something different inside of him.

"_**We both know there's one way we can beat him. You understand what you have to do now, right?**_"

"_I do…_"

"_**Then get up. Stand before the malevolent god, and honor Akechi's death!**_"

"Bastard…" Toya grit his teeth, finding the strength to stand up.

"**Hm…? You dare to still oppose me? When will humanity learn the evil of their ways? The sin of rebellion?"**

"I don't CARE if you call it a sin!" Toya stood his ground, glaring at the malevolent god with a sinister look in his eyes. "You don't get to tell me the difference between right and wrong!" Toya yelled, and when he did, his voice was… different. There was a distortion in it… but it wasn't completely distorted.

"**A rebel who has accepted that they are a sinner is no more than just another meaningless human. Such a pathetic creature can never dream to surpass my precedent." **

"Humans are the ones who are gonna overrule you! Everything you stand for… we're gonna be the ones to destroy it, no matter how many times we fall!"

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya Station Square**

Meanwhile, the streets of Shibuya were filled with even more terror than before. As people continued vanishing into thin air, the police had a harder time calming everyone down, and reassuring them.

"Someone… Someone just disappeared!" A woman yelled out in fear, as she tried running, in hopes of getting away from the madness that filled the streets.

"What the hell!? What's going on!?" Yelled a man, as he fell down on his back, nervously trying to back away.

"Do something, dammit! Aren't you the police!?" A man got up into a cop's face, yelling at them and trying to get them to fix whatever was happening to the city.

"Please, you have to calm down!" Yelled the officer, but… to no avail. It was impossible to calm people down. He turned towards the older, more experienced officer. "Sir, what's going on here?!" He cried out, but… there was no response. Nobody had a clue what was going on, all they could do was fear for the worst.

"Humans are the ones who are gonna overrule you!" Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the streets of Shibuya. Everyone paused for a moment, as they instinctively looked up towards the monitors that were attached to the tall buildings. As they looked… something began to flicker on the screen. It was a red hat, with a white flame for an eye. "Everything you stand for… we're gonna be the ones to destroy it, no matter how many times we fall!"

"...What was this again?"

"...The Phantom Thieves?"

"Weren't the Phantom Thieves those-"

"They haven't given up yet…"

"Can they even do anything about a situation like this?"

"No, it's impossible… There's no way…"

"Take it down, Phantom Thieves!" Mishima, who was a part of the crowd, started yelling out and jumping into the air and cheering for the vigilante group. Everyone that was in the crowd turned towards him as he held one fist in the air, staring at the screen. He paused for a moment, then looked around, noticing everyone staring at him. "Come on, why do you think they've risked their lives all this time!? Dammit, you guys, snap out of it! When will you stop running from the truth!?" He yelled out to everyone in the crowd… and after he did, there was a pause. A moment of pure silence… before suddenly, one person spoke up. And then another. And then another. Eventually, everyone was yelling, cheering for the Phantom Thieves, placing all of their trust into them. "Phantom Thieves, can you hear us!?" He yelled, along with everyone else, as the logo on the screen got brighter and brighter.

"Are you someone who's been charmed by the Phantom Thieves too?" Someone called out to Mishima. He turned around and saw Sojiro, walking up to him.

"...I sure am. Is the same true for you too?"

"Pretty much. Looks like it's not just us though." Sojiro said, looking at the massive crowd around them.

"I'm not letting you lose after getting this far. You better finish what you've started!"

"It may not look like it, but I've got high hopes for you guys. You better win this!"

"They'll win if I cheer them on? Then I'll cheer them on as much as they need!"

"Look forward, and keep fighting! You taught me that, after all!" Countless people who were inspired by the Phantom Thieves began screaming out, cheering them on from the crowd.

"It's you guys' fault I don't know when to quit either. Get back up! Don't lose to that thing!"

"No matter what anyone says, I believe in you guys! Go for it, Phantom Thieves!" Sojiro and Mishma yelled out, displaying their hope for them.

"I'm counting on you, everyone… I will believe in you to the very end…!" Sae said, keeping a bit of distance from the crowd. She was more nervous than anyone… the two people she held closest were up there, fighting against that thing. But, even though she was scared… she was hopeful, and confident. She believed in those two, more than anyone ever could…

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Holy Grail's Temple**

"You hear that!? Those voices cheering against you!? Those are those same humans that I was talking about! The ones who believe in us, and want us to stop you! The ones who believe in free will!" Toya shouted, and as he did, everyone that was behind him started slowly getting to their feet.

"Why do they gotta word it like they're looking down on us?"

"But, they're cheering for us…"

"Heh… Doesn't feel bad…" Ryuji, Haru, and Futaba all stood up, as more voices of encouragement reached them all.

"They don't have to tell us twice…"

"We won't let ourselves be erased!"

"We're going all out, dammit!" Yusuke, Makoto, and Ann all got up just after, standing behind Toya and staring at the malevolent god.

"Those humans you made fun of are the ones who are giving us this strength! No one wants you to rule over them!" Morgana said, jumping up standing by Akira.

"We've rebelled against people like you this entire time…" Akira said, as he slowly picked himself up, slouching over and taking deep breaths. "Like hell we'll stop that now!"

"**God is the one who creates this world!" **Yaldabaoth yelled, angrily looking down on the Phantom Thieves.

"And humans are the ones who decide what happens in it!" Toya shouted, turning his head back to the Phantom Thieves. "Everyone here has fought against the ones trying to take free will away from us… That's why we're gonna be the ones who take this world from you!"

"**Foolish humans… my rule cannot be overcome! This world is mine, and I shall not tolerate a group of rebels in it!" **

"The world is about to change!" Toya yelled out, as his mask erupted into a purple flame. He moved one hand towards his face, covering half of it, with only his eye being revealed… Then, a purple flame appeared behind him, as well as Mephisto. "**Y**o**u**r **e**x**i**s**t**e**n**c**e **w**o**n'**t **b**e**l**o**n**g **t**h**e**r**e**!" **He screamed, and when he did…one of his eyes changed. The purple color of the eye disappeared, and instead… it was replaced by a bright shade of golden. It shined through his fingers as the hand hid the rest of his face, with the other half of his face staying the same as it was before. The purple flame around his body grew bigger and bigger, and eventually it spread to Mephisto. Mephisto roared… and then, much to everyone's surprise, he… exploded. The Phantom Thieves gasped and began stepping back in both fear and shock, not expecting a result like _this. _The golden color of Toya's eye faded as well… it was almost like everything vanished all at once.

"**So you have failed to harness the power. No matter how many prayers of those foolish masses come together…" **Toya didn't respond. Instead, he simply smirked.

"_Let's see if you're as strong as you said you were…_" Suddenly, the clouds in the sky… they began turning dark, as the sound of a thunderstorm was heard…

"**...Hm!?"**

"I-Is that…!?" Makoto said, taking a step further back. Everyone else followed suite… all except for Toya, who just stood there, still smirking. As soon as they all backed away, a massive portal appeared in the ground, in between where they stood and where Toya stood. Then, from the heavens… there was a purple hook, attached to a black chain. It fell down and pierced through the clouds, and sunk right into the portal. It paused for a moment… and then, the chain hook started pulling something out… it was a coffin. A massive one, at that- with chains surrounding it, meant to seal it completely. But… as soon as the coffin was all the way out of the portal, it began to shake. The chains around it went wild, until suddenly… they broke off. Then, a hole was broken in the coffin… and from the outside, Yaldabaoth could see into it… and all he could see was a massive purple eye, with a golden outline around it. Once Yaldabaoth saw the eye, the coffin shook once more… before completely breaking open. And then, from the inside of the coffin, emerged… something. It broke out of the coffin and landed on its hands and knees, before then slowly picking itself up… and staring right at Yaldabaoth. It was massive- even bigger than Yaldabaoth was. With two purple eyes that had a golden outline around them… a set of horns, as well as claws… and fangs that poked out of the creature's mouth. It looked horrifying… and it stood there, staring directly above Toya… and looking right into Yaldabaoth's soul.

"W-What the-"

"It's… enormous…!" Makoto and Haru proclaimed, taking a step back out of intimidation.

"What an immense power…! No way… Is it a Persona…?" Morgana said, staring at it. He then looked back down to Toya, and saw a purple flame still burning around him. The mass public that were watching from below… their cheers continued on, forming small bubbles of light… which converged around all of the Phantom Thieves who were standing behind the monstrous Persona. When they light converged around them… they felt all of their wounds completely vanish. They felt like they were in perfect form, despite the intense fight they had just went through.

"**Fools…! This is why man is doomed…" **Yaldabaoth spoke out in his usual condescending demeanor, before once again, unleashing his ultimate attack… the same one that had previously knocked everyone down. However… once he fired it, the monstrous Persona simply held one arm out… completely absorbing the attack. "**Impossible!" **The cheers of the public rang out once more, forming more bubbles of light that filled the air around them.

"So that was your plan…" Akira said, looking at Toya. He closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "You really are something." He then chuckled a little bit, before opening his eyes again. "This is _your_ moment, Hazard! We're entrusting the people's hopes and dreams to you!" Akira yelled out, as everyone else stood proudly, nodding their heads. "Take the power… and pillage him with it!" Toya snickered to himself, as he held his hand out. When he did, the bubbles of light that symbolized the people's wishes… they all converged onto him. He closed his hand on them, as they erupted into a bright light, infusing himself with the power.

"Pass your judgement… **OSIRIS!**" Toya yelled out, the purple flame around him… and extended onto the monstrous Persona behind him… the true form of Osiris. Osiris smirked, and took a hold of the chain hook that had originally dragged him out of the portal… and ripped it out of the sky. He held the massive chain hook in his hands… before beginning to spin it around, and launching the massive chain hook towards Yaldabaoth. When he did, the chain wrapped around his massive metallic body. "This… is the end of your reign!"

"**Preposterous… You dare rob the people's wishes!?" **Yaldabaoth cried out, as a portal appeared underneath him… the same one that Osiris came from. "**S-Stop! I am a GOD! Don't you realize the evil of your ways!?" **

"Who cares if you're a god!? If stopping you makes me evil… THEN THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE!" Toya yelled, with an angry glare in his eyes… as Osiris dragged Yaldabaoth down. Closer and Closer to the portal… until suddenly, he was dropped straight into it. Yaldabaoth's body completely disappeared… and then, Osiris threw the chain down into the portal with him… and once it was all the way in, the portal closed. There was nothing left… Yaldabaoth was gone, completely. Toya turned and looked up at Osiris… who then looked down at him. The two of them nodded their heads at each other… before Osiris slowly faded away.

"Is… is it over…?" Ryuji nervously asked, looking over at Toya.

"Yeah… it's over…" Toya took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Somehow… that worked. They did it… they managed to kill a god.

"Look!" Ann said, pointing towards something. Everyone looked up into the sky, as… something materialized. It looked like a trophy… which slowly descended down towards the platform, as everyone else walked up by Toya's side, getting a closer look at it.

"Ain't that a Treasure? Right, Mona?"

"Thanks for everything, gang." Morgana said, walking up to the trophy.

"Mona…?" Haru and Futaba both said, having a bit of concern in their voice after what Morgana had just said.

"Humans have the power to change the world. They just forgot about that a bit…"

"Hey…" Yusuke had the same concern in his voice, as everyone walked up closer, looking at Morgana.

"Thanks to you guys, I was able to complete my duty…" Morgana said, softly smiling.

"Everything was thanks to you, wasn't it, Morgana…?"

"Nobody could have made it this far without your knowledge on the Metaverse, Morgana."

"Thank you. For everything." Makoto, Toya and Akira said, as Morgana jumped up a bit.

"I got to be useful for humans that I admired so much. Nothing could make me happier." Morgana looked over to the trophy, as it started glowing "...This place will soon disappear too." Morgana closed his eyes and shook his head a bit, before looking back at the trophy. "Time to go home." The trophy began emitting an even brighter light.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Afternoon - Shibuya Station Square**

When the bright light finally faded, the group found themselves back in Shibuya… only, for some reason, they were surrounded in… a strange, red liquid.

"The hell…!?"

"What is this…?" The group started looking around, before noticing that… everyone was frozen in place. It looked like time had stopped for everyone other than themselves. The group began walking around the city, through the water… until suddenly, the rain stopped, and the clouds in the air… disappeared. The light of the sun finally found its way through to the city, shining brightly on the group… and the water. Once it did, the water hardened around them… and cracked open, flying into the air. As it flew into the air, the fossils that were in the city… vanished into nothingness. It was a beautiful sight… and then, there was a bright light on the entire world around them, as the light slowly trickled out of everything… and up into the sky above. It was… breathtaking.

"The whole world is a product of cognition… not just the Metaverse. It can be freely re-made… The same goes for you, and everyone else." The group heard a voice behind them… and when they turned their heads, they saw Morgana… who was also fading away, along with the rest of the world.

"Dude, Mona…!"

"Mona…!"

"This can't be happening!" The group was nervous beyond belief and tried running forward, but when they did, the ground beneath them opened up… creating a rift between them and Morgana.

"Soon a new world will come. One where mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts." Morgana said, as he began floating up into the air.

"But what's going to happen to you!?" Makoto cried out, looking towards him. Everyone looked up at Morgana… not speaking another word.

"Remember… There's no such thing as the 'real' world. What each person sees and feels- Those are what shape reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential. Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead… As long as you hold hands together… See it through as one… the world will never end! _The world exists within all of you…!" _A bright light flashed once more… before suddenly… the group found themselves back in the world, once again. Everything was moving as it normally did… nobody was frozen in place, or anything of the sort. It was… back to normal, it seemed.

"Morgana…" Ann spoke softly, looking down.

"Mona…" Futaba had the same soft spoken voice, closing her eyes.

"The Meta-Nav… It's gone…" Haru said as she took out her phone. "Mementos must have disappeared too…"

"We can't see Mona anymore… can we?"

"He can't just be gone forever… right? We'll run into him one day… I know it." Akira said, trying to comfort Futaba however he could.

"...What're you all so gloomy for? Mona would laugh at us for it…" Ryuji said, feeling a bit down himself, but… trying to hide it.

"That reminds me, what about the public? Were we able to change their hearts?" Yusuke asked, listening in on the crowd around them.

"It's kinda hard to tell." Ann said, in a… curious voice.

"Aren't we going into the new year without a prime minister? Will this country be alright?"

"But, there's no way we're getting Shido. There are tons of shady rumors about him, you know?" They heard two people speaking from the crowd around them…

"I wonder how things will go… I hope they go well…"

"Let's believe in the adults. Sis promised us, after all." Makoto said to Haru, trying to encourage her that there was still hope.

"From here on out's the prosecutor's job, huh…" Ryuji said, as he begun to understand the group's position now.

"If we can't enter the Metaverse, that means we've been relieved of being Phantom Thieves." Yusuke said, looking at everyone.

"It feels a bit sad…"

"Well… we all did what we could, right? We just have to… believe in everyone else now, I guess." Toya said, and as he spoke… everyone gave him a weird look, almost of concern. "...What's with the funny looks?"

"Um, Toya…?" Makoto took out her phone, letting Toya see a reflection of himself. He looked at it… and instantly noticed what they were all confused about.

"M-My eye…!" Toya recoiled a bit in shock. One of his eyes… it was still golden, similar to how it was when he was fighting against Yaldabaoth, before summoning Osiris. "When the hell did this happen…?"

"**It happened when you summoned me." **Osiris's voice rang out, only… everyone could hear it now. It wasn't just in Toya's head anymore.

"O-Osiris…!?"

"**Don't worry, nobody else can hear me. Only the ones who have been to the Metaverse… not including everyone who were only there when the worlds fused together. Likewise, if they can't hear me… they won't notice your eye." **

"S-So you're just… living in my head now…!?"

"**You formed a bond with me by summoning me. Don't tell me you regret doing all of that now…" **Osiris teased Toya, causing him to look down at the ground. Everyone laughed a little bit.

"So I'm stuck with a tsundere Shadow living in my head now…?"

"**D-don't use that filthy term on me!"**

"Yep… definitely a tsundere." Futaba said, tilting her head at the sound of Osiris.

"How did all of this happen anyways? Where did you run off to after Shido's Palace?" Akira asked, looking towards Toya with a confused look.

"**He was hiding in the Metaverse." **

"You don't have to answer my questions for me too!"

"**He was hiding in a secret underground police interrogation room."**

"...How did you even know that existed?"

"**He broke Akechi out of it the day he was labeled a criminal."**

"...Why do I feel like this is gonna keep happening…?" Toya said, as everyone laughed once again. It was a good, light hearted change of pace… Toya could at least be happy about that.

**December 11th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to hang out back here…?" Toya asked, looking at Makoto. Now that the Metaverse was gone, the two of them could finally spend some time together… something they hadn't gotten a chance to do for quite a long time.

"My sister told me that the police have already searched this place top to bottom. There's no way they come back to check again after a week."

"If you say so…" The two of them slowly went up the stairs, getting into Toya's room. Then there was a pause… as Makoto just stared at Toya for a moment. "...Uhh…?"

"Hang on." She said, still staring. It took Toya a moment… before he realized that Makoto was specifically staring at Toya's now-golden eye.

"**...What? You want me to leave?" **

"...Well, yeah." She said, still staring at the eye with a bit more stern of a look.

"**Jeez… I help save the world and you're all still **_**so**_ **bossy… Fine, fine… I'll be back tomorrow." **Osiris said, before suddenly… the golden color faded from Toya's eye.

"...Wait, seriously? He can just _do _that? Wait, then where did he go-" Toya was cut off by Makoto suddenly wrapping her arms around Toya- squeezing him tighter than ever. She gently pressed her head against his chest, hugging him tighter and tighter by the second.

"...Let's save that discussion for another time."

"...Yeah, I'm fine with that." Toya softly chuckled, wrapping his arms around her as well. The two of them kind of just… sat there for a minute, not really saying anything. "...I really missed you, Makoto…"

"I missed you too…" She said softly, closing your eyes. "I was… really scared that we wouldn't spend more time together, you know…?"

"...I was too. I didn't really… know what to do. So I just… ran." Toya sighed, closing his eyes. "I ran away to try and avoid hurting you, but… I think I only hurt you more in the process. I'm sorry…"

"It's fine. You don't have to apologize." She said, softly giggling to herself. "But… next time, don't run away from me, okay…?"

"I won't. I promise." He said. Makoto was just happy that things were a bit more normal now… but… there was something else on her mind.

"...Toya?"

"Yeah?"

"...You're gonna do what I think you're gonna do. Aren't you?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Come on. I've known you for long enough to know how you work." Makoto looked up to Toya, staring right into his eyes. "...You want to turn yourself in… don't you?"

"I…" Toya closed his eyes for a moment. This was… something that had been on his mind, ever since Yaldabaoth was defeated, and they were back in the real world. "...I don't know. I mean… it's not like I can just go back to school. I can't really… live a normal life anymore. But…" Toya opened his eyes again, looking back at Makoto. "...I don't want to leave you again. Not after… all of this. Both options… have something bad about them. You know what I mean?"

"I do. I know how hard this must be on you too…" Makoto closed here yes, pressing her head against Toya's chest a bit harder, pressing her ear to the area his heart would be, listening to it beating for a moment. "...This might be the last night we have together for a while again, right?"

"...Yeah." Makoto heard Toya's heart skip a beat. She could hear the pain in his voice, too…

"...You don't mind if I stay with you until you leave then, do you?"

"...Please do." Toya wrapped his arms around Makoto tighter. It was...a weird mixture of feelings. He was so happy to see her again- he wanted nothing more at this point in time. But… he knew he wouldn't get another chance for a while. Still… there had to be some way to make things bearable. Regardless of that… he didn't want to really think about it anymore. This… was going to be his last night of a teenage life- at least for a while. He wanted to enjoy it… with the person he loved. "...I love you, Makoto. So… even if I go… do you think…" Toya struggled to speak for a moment. "...that you'd wait for me?" Makoto paused for a moment, then let out a soft giggle.

"Of course I would. I fell in love with you too, remember?"

"...Y-You promise?" Toya's voice was… breaking up a bit. Makoto looked up to him… only to notice he had started sobbing a little bit.

"Toya…"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't get all emotional now, but…" Toya closed his eyes, as tears continued streaming down his cheeks. "...I pushed a lot of feelings back today, mostly because of adrenaline, and… it's all starting to hit me at once."

"You don't have to apologize… I know how hard it's been…" Makoto hugged him a bit tighter, before moving one hand up to his face, gently rubbing the tears off of his face, then giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Everything will be fine… and no matter what happens… I'll be here with you. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't. I promise…" Not another word was said for a bit. The two of them just sat there in each other's arms… conflicted. They had a love of mutual emotions, and most of them directly conflicted with each other. Their teenage lives weren't normal, no matter how badly they wanted them to be, but... at the very least, they still had each other. That was enough to keep them going for now… and hopefully, for long enough, until everything sorted itself out.

**December 12th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Kazero Household**

After a long night of emotions, Makoto woke up… and as soon as she did, she noticed that Toya was… gone. It made her sad, but… she figured as much. Although, in his place, there was a letter… as well as his bandana. Confused, she picked the letter up.

"_Hey, Makoto… I know this is probably really screwed up for me to do. But… I couldn't say all of this to your face. I figured this would be easier to tell by letter… and I think it's a bit easier to hear by letter, too._

_I woke up really early this morning… and I started thinking about some things. And… I want a normal life back. Obviously, I can't have that yet… I've come to terms with that. But… that doesn't mean it's impossible for me to get at some point, right? So, I started doing some thinking… and I got an idea._

_I hate to ask this of you, but… I have a request for you- as well as your sister. Make sure you tell her this next part too… it's important. And… maybe you should tell the rest of the group, if you get the chance. It's… the only way I can think of speeding up this process." _Makoto was a bit confused and concerned, but… she continued to read the letter. She saw Toya's request, and… admittedly, it wasn't exactly something she was looking forward to doing. But… she understood the importance of doing it. She pulled out her phone, calling her sister while putting the paper down, picking up the bandana. Her sister would like this idea even less, but… it was worth it. She'd understand that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaldabaoth is dead, the Metaverse is gone, Morgana is gone (for now), Osiris is a permanent part of Toya's mind... and Toya's got a plan for getting his normal life back.
> 
> There's a lot I could say, but... I want to save it for a bit. After all, the next chapter will be the final chapter of this story. That's really weird for me to think about to be honest, it kinda makes me sad, honestly. But... at the same time, I'm happy that I'm getting this done. This fic has been going on for about 7 months now.
> 
> That being said- if you have any questions to ask... now is the time. I won't be posting another chapter after this, after all. That is, unless I want to post a preview for the Royal Rewrite at the end, for some reason. Which... I don't know, maybe I'll do that? The Royal Rewrite is definitely happening, but the previews might just stay to Twitter.
> 
> Anyways, I'll stop before I start rambling. See you all for the finale this weekend.


	90. A Hazardous Conclusion

**December 12th, 20XX (Monday)**

**Evening - Police Station**

"We will now begin the interrogation." An interrogator sat down at a table, next to a police officer who was there for… defensive purposes. They didn't want to take risks, even though in reality, they weren't in any real danger. Toya was sitting at the other side of the table, with a calm demeanor on his face, and a golden eye that neither of them could see. "You acted as one of the Phantom Thieves that undermined our society… Is that correct?"

"You're missing the big details." Toya said, closing his eyes and sighing. "We saved society."

"What you thought you were doing doesn't matter now."

"_**They don't plan on giving you any credit for what happened, do they?**__**"**_

"_Of course not. Their heads can't handle the fact that a vigilante group saved them from themselves. Especially when the only suspect they have is a teenager.__" _Toya and Osiris spoke to each other through their thoughts, taunting the people sitting across from them. Toya didn't expect to get any credit for his efforts, but that was fine. He wasn't here for that.

"Moving on… As a Phantom Thief, you committed a number of crimes. Illegal entry into the Madarame residence and Okumura Foods, destruction of property, the broadcast signal intrusion the other day… Ah, and let's not leave out the deaths."

"The Phantom Thieves aren't responsible for anyone's death."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. Any of the deaths that were pinned on the Phantom Thieves were not because of us. You can ask me about any of them."

"So you aren't responsible for the death of the SIU Director, Genkei Ishida?"

"He was shot in the head while giving a press conference. If I had to guess, none of the other deaths were because of gunshot wounds, were they?" He said, keeping direct eye contact with the interrogator. They simply stared at each other, seeing who would crack first. Toya was confident, though. He knew everything that happened. "Seriously. Use some common sense if you're looking for crimes to pin on me."

"Let's see… Ah, yes. What about the death of your Principal, Kobayakawa?"

"Once again, not me. He literally walked out into the street and got hit by a truck."

"We found a calling card from the Phantom Thieves in his desk."

"I'm aware. I'm also aware that I was in Hawaii at the time of his death. Do you really think I could have done something to him that would have made him jump into traffic from the other side of the planet?"

"So who did it?"

"I don't know who did it. I have no way of knowing for sure who did that or why they did it. All I'm aware of is that… whoever did it, it's not the only time they've killed."

"What makes you so certain of that?"

"The first calling card ever sent by the Phantom Thieves was to Suguru Kamoshida. People had been dying to mental shutdowns long before that. If you want proof of that…" Toya paused for a moment, before glaring right into the interrogator's soul. "Then look no further than my late father. Do you really think I'm responsible for the deaths of both my father _and_ my brother? Use common sense for a minute here. Look into my eyes. Do you _really_ think I'd do something like that?" Toya raised his voice a bit, giving off a stern tone. A subtle droplet of sweat began running down the interrogator's forehead. "What's next? You need me to explain how we're not responsible for Kunikazu Okumura's death?"

"No, let's try something else. Let's talk about the incident on the subway a few weeks ago."

"You mean the one that got me marked as an enemy of state?"

"That _was_ you, right?"

"Of course not. You really think I'd do something ridiculous like that?"

"All of the evidence points to you doing it."

"Really now? And what 'evidence' is there?"

"You were dismissed from school early the day of the crime, after getting escorted out by Masayoshi Shido, and his guards. Then, those guards brought you outside, and you tried to escape them. It's why we found 2 guards of his unconscious."

"Sorry, but I wasn't escorted out by anyone. At least, not fully."

"And how exactly do you plan on explaining _that_?"

"Simple. I was called down to the Principal's Office, and there were 2 guards there waiting for me, to escort me out. We walked a little, then I asked if I could use the bathroom. I went in and jumped out of the bathroom window."

"You jumped out of a window?"

"It was the first floor. There was no real drop. I simply jumped out and left. You can't even say I skipped class- I was being dismissed early anyways."

"And can you explain _why_ you did that?"

"I had a feeling they were with Shido. I had heard so many rumors about him beforehand that I really didn't want to risk being in a car alone with him. After all, I thought he might have figured out that I'm a Phantom Thief, so I just left and went home."

"If you were so worried about being exposed back then, then why did you turn yourself in today? What _changed_?"

"He still went all that way to call me enemy of state. I don't want to live my entire life hiding from the police. I want to eventually live a normal life again, after all."

"You really think you can do that after all of the crimes you've committed?"

"How many crimes have I actually committed? Tell me, I'm quite curious to see what kind of proof you have on me."

"Do you really want me to run down the list?"

"Yeah. Let's see what you actually have on me."

"Alright. Let's see here… first up, as I mentioned before, illegal entry into the Madarame residence, as well as Okumura foods."

"Ah, that. First of all, for Madarame… it wasn't illegal whatsoever. Sure, we snooped around, but it's not like we broke his door down and just walked in. We were invited in for unrelated reasons."

"And for Okumura Foods?"

"Come on. Surely there are security cameras in there, right? You can look through footage if you really want to- you'll never see me in the building." To be fair, Toya wasn't actually lying about that. He never went inside the building- he only waited around the outside until he could go into the Metaverse.

"We can't access the security camera footage anymore."

"Then it sounds like you don't have evidence of that, now do you?" Toya said in a sarcastic tone, glaring at the interrogator. He was getting visibly frustrated now…

"Okay then. What about the possession of illegal firearms?"

"Oh, please. Have you _ever_ seen me with a gun? You can search my house from top to bottom if you want- I don't have a single weapon. Although, if I had to guess… you already searched there, didn't you?"

"_**Sounds like you caught him.**__**"**_

"_I did everything I could. Now it's just up to everyone else.__" _

"_**You left their instructions on the letter, right?**__**"**_

"_Of course. As long as they follow them… well, I still might get locked up for a bit, to be honest. But… I'll shorten my sentence by as much as possible.__"_

"_**You really want to go back to a normal life that badly?**__**"**_

"_Of course. I'm not living for myself anymore, anyways. You wouldn't like living on the street trying to hide from the law either, would you?__"_

"_**So you consider what I want now, too? I'm flattered.**__**"**_

"_...Yep. You're just as tsundere as I thought.__"_

"_**I AM NOT!**__**" **_

**December 22nd, 20XX (Thursday)**

**Daytime - Police Station**

"Everything is as he said." Sae said, looking an interrogator in his eyes- the same one that had interrogated Toya. One thing that Toya and Sae had in common was the stare they had… the stern look they could have in their eyes- one that could send a chill down a person's spine. It was nerve wracking… and the interrogator was feeling every bit of it.

"You're telling me everything he said was true? And you're just okay with it?"

"Whether or not I approve of all of his actions is a different story entirely, and it's not relevant to the topic at hand. What matters is that everything he told you, from being wrongfully framed for murders, as well as the incident on the subway… everything he said to you was true."

"You're really sure of that?"

"I'm his _guardian_. I know when he's lying to me, and when he's not. There was nothing wrong with his conduct. You can ask anyone that, and they'd give you the same answer."

**January 20th, 20XY (Monday)**

**Early Morning - The Velvet Room**

Weeks had passed since then. As he expected, Toya still had to serve some time. There wasn't complete evidence on him, so they couldn't hold him forever, but… they still didn't trust him fully. The police force wanted to keep him locked up for as long as they could, just to be sure of what was happening. Toya was getting used to it, but… something felt a bit… different about the atmosphere one night. Feeling a bit curious, he opened his eyes… only to notice that he was somewhere completely different. He was a bit nervous at first, but then… he got up, and realized that he had been here once before. This was the Velvet Room… he had only been here once- just before the fight against Yaldabaoth. It was a bit weird being back here, but… well, it was a nice change of scenery. Toya got up and walked out of the cell that he woke up in, walking towards Igor and Lavenza, who had been waiting for him.

"Magnificent." Igor said, chuckling aloud.

"To think that you would become confined in reality for freeing the general public from the prison of their hearts… What an ironic turn of events because you wished for the fortune of others over your own well-being." Lavenza said, sounding conflicted.

"Well, it had to happen. There was no other choice in the matter, really…"

"You know I would have gone in your place if you had asked, right?" Someone said, causing Toya to jump a bit. He quickly turned around… only to see Akira, coming out of the cell next to his.

"A-Akira…!? How did you-"

"I've been here a lot. It's been a while since my last visit, but… well, it's not surprising when I show up here anymore." He said, closing his eyes and chuckling for a moment. "Well? Is prison life as bad as it sounds?"

"Not really. It's just… quiet, to be honest. There's not much to do for the most part." Toya slowly lifted a finger, then started tapping the side of his head that had a golden eye. "It helps that I haven't been alone this entire time, though."

"**Even though it's so boring…" **Osiris said, complaining a bit.

"Osiris is still with you?"

"**He doesn't get a say in the matter anymore. We've formed a contract at this point… he'll be stuck with me for life."**

"It's… nice, to be honest. Even though Osiris can get a bit… tsundere at times."

"**I SWEAR TO-" **As always, Osiris complained about being called that… it was fun to tease him though. Everyone had a good laugh at it for a minute.

"Well, if you're stuck in his head… what's the plan then?"

"**I want to see how the world functions on it's own." **Osiris stopped speaking for a moment. **"...I had a dream once. I wanted to create a utopia... one where the world was better- perfect, even. But… I'm realizing now that… maybe that utopia is closer than I originally thought. Maybe we can still shape the world into a paradise."**

"Anyways… what's going on? Why are we back here?" Toya asked, taking a look around.

"I was brought here a little while ago… and I was given a gift." Akira said, as he held his hand out… before a tarot card appeared, hovering above his hand. "This is The World. It signifies the willpower to stand up in this world on your own feet, unswayed by no one. Don't get me wrong- I definitely do enjoy the gift, but…" He closed his eyes for a moment, before extending his arm out further. "I think you should be the one to have it instead. You are the one who defeated Yaldabaoth, after all."

"Akira…" Toya looked at the card as it spun around in Akira's hands. "Thanks, but… that's not for me. Something that signifies standing up without anyone knocking you down… that belongs to the person who started the Phantom Thieves in the first place."

"Are you sure about this…?"

"I might have gotten the last hit in… but that wouldn't have mattered if you never started the Phantom Thieves in the first place. So many things would be different if it wasn't for that, so… you should be the one to keep that. Not me." With that said… Akira fully accepted The World into him.

"My own duties end here as well…" Igor said, looking at the two of them. He then looked specifically towards Akira. "...You were truly a remarkable guest." With that said… Igor slowly faded away, dissipating into a bright light. Moments later, Lavenza followed him, disappearing into the same light. Once they were both gone… the entire room began brightening, engulfing both Toya and Akira in the light… until suddenly, the Velvet Room was… gone. And then, all that remained was a small, blue butterfly, fluttering in place for a moment.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways again, Akira."

"It's still not right that you have to be the one in jail…"

"I know. But… someone had to do it, right? I'd rather it was me than any of the rest of you." Toya slowly turned around, yawning, as the space around them began brightening, signifying that they were gonna wake up soon. "We'll meet again, soon enough. I promise." With the sound of Toya's voice echoing away… the two of them both slowly disappeared from what was left of the Velvet Room, returning to the real world.

**February 12th, 20XY (Sunday)**

**Evening - Prison**

Weeks had passed since Toya and Akira encountered each other again… and since then, things had been fairly quiet. Toya spent most of his days talking with Osiris, telling him some things about the outside world, what it's like… everything of the sort. The two of them were getting to know each other a bit better… they still had their differences, but they naturally had a lot of the same ideals. They were still the same person, after all… they just had different experiences that taught them different things. However, today was… different. At least, it was ending differently. For the first time since he got there, Toya was told that he has a visitor. He was under the impression that he couldn't receive any visitors, so this was… a surprise to say the very least. Nevertheless, he got up and was escorted to a room where he could talk to someone through a glass window. He sat down at a chair… and then, on the other side of the window, he saw Sae.

"Long time no see." She said, as she took a seat at the other side of the window, facing him. "Wait… what happened to your eye…?"

"Oh! I completely forgot that you can actually see that..." Toya softly chuckled. "Well, it's a long story that I can't really explain here. But, enough of that… how long has it been? I… kind of lost track of time."

"Just about 2 months." She slowly took a seat, still looking at Toya while giving a gentle smile. "Thankfully, I have some good news for you."

"Well, that's nice to hear… What is it?"

"As of today, you'll be free to go."

"...Wait, really? This soon?"

"That's right. As it turns out, there isn't any evidence on you whatsoever. You might have confessed to being a Phantom Thief… but there's barely any proof for the crimes that have been pinned on you. The only thing you can truly be charged for is the video transmission that was used as Shido's calling card. Everything else… is all just speculation and rumor, without any confirmation."

"Well, yeah, but… I don't know. I thought they'd keep me here for longer. After everything that happened…"

"There was a lot of support for you. The people who were moved by the Phantom Thieves… a lot of them came out in support of you, saying that you should be treated as a hero, and not a villain." The soft smile on Sae's face slowly faded, but she kept eye contact with Toya. "Regardless, the righteous Phantom Thieves are gone. All that remains is for us adults to lead society in the right direction…"

"It's a bit worrisome, just… putting all of my trust into adults, after I spent so much time trying to fix their mistakes. But… well, if you're one of the adults that are trying to fix things… I don't think things can be _that_ bad."

"...That means a lot, coming from you." Sae's smile returned, as she looked down for a moment. "Ever since your brother died… I've never been sure of how to treat you. He wanted me to take care of you, but… I always did such a poor job of that. I wasn't ready for the responsibility, but… I still wanted to do everything in my power to free you. Saving your future meant the world to me… potentially even more than my own career."

"You don't have to try so hard for me, Sae. What happened in the past… happened. I don't hold a grudge against you for not knowing what to do when you suddenly had the responsibility of taking care of _another_ teenager. Especially when… I wasn't exactly the best person, either." Toya smirked and let out a gentle chuckle, catching Sae's attention and causing her to look back up towards him. "Well, if I'm getting out of here… Let's try to fix all of that. I'm gonna be an adult one day too, after all. I need to learn how to do part in keeping society running, without being a vigilante… I'd like it if you were there to teach me."

"...Yeah. I'll be there with you every step of the way." Sae and Toya both smirked at each other for a moment. "Oh, there is something else I wanted to say. I haven't even gotten around to telling Makoto this yet, but… well, I suppose I can tell her the next time I see her."

"Hm? What's up?"

"After everything from making sure Shido stays in jail, to getting your freedom back… I realized something. My most prized 'treasure' is the justice I use to protect those important to me. Makoto helped show me that as well. So… now that everything is getting settled, I'm thinking of quitting my job and becoming a defense lawyer. I wanted to reform the system, but I'll have to leave that to someone else. Going forward, I want to enact justice not just for myself, but for the sake of others."

"And you're gonna do a damn good job of that, Sae. I know it." They both laughed for a moment, before they stood up. "Well, let's get going."

"Right. Follow me."

**February 12th, 20XY (Sunday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

Sae drove Toya back to his place, letting him finally get some time in his own home again.

"...It feels like it's been so long since I've been here. Yet, at the same time… it feels like it could have easily been so much longer."

"It's a good thing you wrote that letter to Makoto. Had you not convinced us all to say it wasn't you on the subway when Shido's men tried kidnapping you… you could have been in there for a lot longer."

"I felt bad about asking you all to lie though…"

"You're allowed to feel bad about it. But… you are the one who saved the world, remember? I think you're allowed to get a pass." Sae softly smiled, before taking another look at Toya. "...I still want to know what's going on with your eye."

"Oh, right. Uh… Don't get too freaked out by this."

"Freaked out by… what…?"

"**Freaked out by **_**me**_**." **Osiris's voice rang out, slightly startling Sae.

"W-What was that…?"

"Before I got back to the real world, after Shibuya had fused with the Metaverse… I was fighting against my demons. However… after the fight, I realized that… there was a better option." Toya chuckled, tapping his head. "This eye? It's a sign that I've fully accepted my demons for what they are. I've accepted what's wrong with me… and I'm learning to live with it."

"So, that voice I heard… was one of your demons…?"

"_**One of?**_** I'm much more than just another demon."**

"He's right. His name is Osiris… and he's the one I was the most scared of, for the longest time. But… after living with him inside of my head for a couple months, I've realized that he's really not all that bad." Toya chuckled, as he turned around, walking towards the door.

"Hey… are you sure you don't want me to tell Makoto you're out when I get home?"

"Yeah. I wanna see if I can surprise her myself. I don't know how I'll do that yet though…"

"Well, you could always catch her off guard at school tomorrow."

"...Wait, I _already_ have to go back…?"

"Even heroes don't get to skip class for free." Sae chuckled, before opening the door to her car. "See you around, Toya."

"Yeah. I'll see you soon." Toya smiled and waved at Sae, as she drove away. Toya turned back toward the door and opened it, beginning to walk inside.

"**Wait, what the hell is a school…?" **Osiris asked, his voice full of genuine curiosity.

"If you think prison was bad… you have no idea what's coming tomorrow." Toya said, yawning. He made his way upstairs and went into his room, getting inside. The air felt so… different. It felt so much better to be here… especially after not being home for so long. "I'll tell you the specifics tomorrow. Let's just get some sleep. We have to be up early tomorrow."

"**Wait a minute, there's something I want to show you first." **

"..Show me? What can you show me from inside my head?"

"**Don't underestimate me. I can still perform a couple of my old tricks. Here, close your eyes for a second." **

"Alright…" Toya was a bit confused, but… he obliged, closing his eyes. "What's this about, anyways…?"

"**Just a little trick of mine… Okay, open your eyes." **Hearing Osiris's prompt, Toya opened his eyes… only to see that his surroundings had completely changed. Everything around him was dark… but in front of him, he saw himself… only, it wasn't actually him.

"...O-Osiris…?" Osiris simply chuckled in response, crossing his arms. "Wait, what is this…!?"

"**Relax. We're just inside of your head. This is where the Palace once was… but now that it's gone, all that's left is this void in your cognition... Thankfully, since you've seen my physical form before, I can retain it here." **

"I see… Is this where you usually are?"

"**Most of the time, yes. I can access just about anything from here… When you want alone time, I usually just walk away for a bit until I can't hear your thoughts anymore." **

"Hm… so wait, this is still my cognition, right?"

"**Yes. Of course, your body isn't a**_**ctually **_**here. Your body is still in the real world, in your room with closed eyes."**

"I see… But if this is the remnants of my Palace, then…" Toya looked around, and then focused a bit. Eventually… the darkness around them started to take shape, and change colors.

"**What is…?"**

"It's still my head, right? That means this is my world, in a way. By that logic…" Toya closed his eyes again and focused harder for a moment… and then, when he opened his eyes again, he saw his room… or well, a replica of it, at the very least. "There. That's better."

"**This is…"**

"My room, remade in cognition. Or well… now it's _your_ room, I suppose.

"**You didn't have to make this for me, you know."**

"So what? You deserve to at least have a real room, rather than just sitting in darkness." Toya smirked, and then paised, thinking back to something Osiris had said a while ago. "Hey… I meant to ask you something."

"**Hm? What is it?"**

"Back in the Velvet Room when we were talking to Akira, you talked about seeing how the world works, right? Finding a way to create that utopia you dreamed of, and all that."

"**Yeah. I was created to help a God shape the world… but I realized that I didn't want to help him. I wanted to recreate the world to make it work better… that way people wouldn't have Palaces anymore. I think I got that mentality from watching you run through Palaces and fighting against Shadows, to be honest."**

"I see. Well, if that's the case… I'll help you."

"**Help me? In what way?"**

"Well, I can show you how the world works. You know, legal stuff. Why people are considered criminals, and the whole process behind it. Maybe we can figure out what's wrong with the system… and maybe we can actually fix it."

"**...You really think we can do that?"**

"Definitely." Toya extended his arm out, keeping eye contact with Osiris. "I know that we can change the world… with or without sending calling cards and fighting against Shadows." Osiris stared back, before laughing to himself, extending his arm out as well and shaking Toya's hand.

"**I'll hold you up to that, then."**

"I won't let you down. I promise."

**February 13th, 20XY (Monday)**

**Early Morning - Shujin Academy**

"_**Wait, they force everyone to wear uniforms?**_**" **

"_Oh, yeah. Everyone has to wear one… I really don't know why.__" _Toya slowly walked towards the school. _"__But man… I did not miss being back in school. We save the world and just have to come right back here, huh…?__" _Toya walked forward, getting a bit closer to the school. When he did… he immediately ran into Haru, who nearly jumped in shock after seeing him again.

"T-Toya…!? What are you…"

"I just got released last night. And they're _already_ making me come back to school… Anyways, can you do me a favor and not tell Makoto that I'm here, if you see her? I want to surprise her, if I can."

"She doesn't know yet...?"

"Nope. Sae picked me up really late at night. You're the only other person I've run into since I've gotten back, actually."

"I see…" Haru paused for a moment, then, suddenly, she got an idea. "Hey, once it's Lunchtime… can you come up to the rooftop?"

"The rooftop? Uh, sure… why?"

"I can bring Makoto up there for you, if you want to surprise her."

"Oh… yeah, that's perfect! Alright, I'll head straight up there!" He said, before running off, trying to get to his classroom before accidentally running into Makoto. He knew that she always got to school early… so he had to be quick. He quickly got to his classroom without running into her, stepping inside. Once he stepped inside, there weren't that many people inside… but everyone important was there- namely Akira and Ann. Their eyes widened in shock as they saw him, and in response, they quickly pulled out their phones to try and say something.

"**Not so fast, you two!" **Osiris yelled out, catching the two of them off guard. Thankfully, nobody else could hear it- only the two of them, as well as Toya. **"Don't go telling everyone else about this yet." **They gave him a confused look, before Toya pulled out his phone, making a group chat with the two of them.

TOYA: Makoto doesn't know yet. I just got released last night, and nobody's told her yet.

ANN: Wait, seriously? Why hasn't anyone told her…?

TOYA: I asked them not to. I want to surprise her later today, so just make sure that neither of you say anything to anyone yet, alright?

AKIRA: I'm confused, though. How are you _already_ out?

TOYA: A lot of hard work and convincing. It turns out that they're not really able to keep me in jail for long if they don't actually have evidence of me committing the crimes that the Phantom Thieves were accused of.

TOYA: All of the murders and break-ins… they have no proof that any of that was me. So I didn't have to stay for too long.

AKIRA: But you had to come back to school… just after getting released…?

TOYA: Yeah. I don't even get a single day off…

"_**Is… is this School thing really… that bad…?**__**"**_

"_You have no idea…__"_

**February 13th, 20XY (Monday)**

**Lunchtime - Rooftop**

TOYA: Okay, I'm here.

HARU: Good! Me and Makoto are on our way up there now.

HARU: I'll leave after you walk out… I'm sure you two would like some time alone, yes?

TOYA: That would be great… Thank you so much, Haru.

"_**I suppose you'll want me to disappear for a bit, too?**__**"**_

"_You can stay around for a bit longer. But once she gets up here and gets a look at me… would you mind if you just let me and her be alone for a bit?__"_

"_**...This whole 'love' thing still makes no sense to me, but… fine.**__**"**_

"_I'll explain it all to you later. But… thank you.__" _Toya smirked, before hearing the sound of people coming up the stairs. He faced away from the door, looking out at the city from beyond.

"Do you really need help with your gardening that bad…?" Toya heard Makoto's voice from the distance, talking to Haru.

"Yes, please! I promise, I won't take up too much of your time!"

"Well… Okay, then." The two of them opened the door to the rooftop, walking forward. "Wait, isn't the rooftop still off limi-" Makoto paused, as she saw someone else on the rooftop, looking away from her. "W-Wait, is that…" She turned around, only to see that Haru was already walking away, leaving her on the rooftop. Makoto turned back away from the door… and slowly started approaching the figure. "...T-Toya…?"

"I was worried you forgot my name for a second there…" He said, chuckling to himself as he turned around. Once he looked at Makoto, the golden color of his eye faded away, leaving the two of them completely alone. Without warning, Makoto quickly ran forward, hugging him as tightly as she could. Toya quickly hugged her back, holding her just as tightly.

"B-But… when did you…!?"

"I just got released last night. It took every ounce of willpower I had to wait until I could see you face to face before telling you I got out…" He paused, before looking at her- staring right into her eyes. "...I missed you so much…"

"I-I missed you too… I just…" Makoto pressed her head against his chest, hugging him tighter. "...I can't believe that you're actually here…"

"Yeah, me neither… I thought I'd be in there for so much longer… but I'm glad that I could finally get out and see you again. I was scared that it would be so much longer than this…" Toya gently ran one of his fingers through her hair, kissing the top of her head. "Hey, over here. Let's take a seat… I'd like to talk to you for a while." She nodded, as the two of them slowly made their way towards a wall, taking a seat by the door, covered by the shade.

"...How was it? Staying in prison, I mean… was it bad…?"

"I thought it would be a lot worse, honestly… but… it was a lot better than I was expecting. Not seeing you for so long was the only really hard part…"

"You've only been here for a minute or 2, and you're already talking to me like this…!?"

"Sorry! I just can't really help it… this is the most free I've felt in months, so… forgive me if I start saying stuff like that a lot more than I used to."

"No, that's fine… it's just embarrassing to hear…" She said, slightly blushing. Toya hugged her a bit tighter, still using one hand to gently run some of his fingers through her hair. "...Did it ever get lonely?"

"Being without you sucked, but… I was never really 'alone.' After all, I had Osiris with me the whole time."

"I had almost forgotten about that… that's still happening then?"

"Yeah. He seems fine with giving us time to be alone with each other though, so… it should be fine. He means well, after all."

"You're sure about that…?"

"Absolutely. Me and him have been talking a lot over the past few months… and last night, we had another pretty in-depth conversation. I don't think he wants to cause problems for anyone anymore… he just wants to help fix the world now."

"It's gonna be a lot harder to do that now. We can't really go into the Metaverse and change people's hearts anymore, after all."

"I know… but that's fine. We might not be able to take people's Treasures anymore, but… I know that we can still change people's hearts." Toya smirked, looking out to the sky, and the city beyond. "...I still want to reform society. Both me and Osiris do. There's still a lot of bad in the world, but… I think we can make the world better. Even if we can't work as Phantom Thieves anymore… we can be real people instead, and I think that we can get a lot of things done still."

"Well, if that's what you're going to do… then I want to be by your side, every step of the way."

"I'd love that more than anything else." The two of them smiled, continuing to hug each other for a bit while staring up at the sky, talking about whatever came to their minds- catching each other up on everything that's been happening in their lives for a bit.

"...Lunchtime is almost over already…?" Makoto said, closing her eyes.

"Well… we'll be able to spend much more time together, right?"

"That's true…" Makoto paused, then looked up at Toya. "Um… I'll be a bit busy tonight, but… would you mind if I came over to your place tomorrow night?"

"Of course not! Feel free to come by whenever you want." He responded. They were both happy to know that they'd spend the night together tomorrow… even though they wished it could be sooner, they could settle for this. Moments later, they heard the bell ring, signaling that afternoon classes would start soon.

"Already…?"

"I know… but, don't worry. Tomorrow we'll spend the night together again… Just us, okay?"

"Yeah! Just us…" She said, starting to get up. "So… I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah. Promise." The two of them looked each other in the eyes, and paused for a moment… before closing their eyes, slowly leaning in to each other. They pressed their lips together, keeping their eyes closed shut as they gently kissed. There were a lot of emotions going through them in that one moment, but… above all else, they were just happy to be together again. That's what mattered most to them at this point in time… so as long as they had that, they were fine with whatever else happened.

**February 14th, 20XY (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Kazero Household**

"_**Okay, so wait. What exactly IS this so called Valentines Day?**__**"**_

"_Come on. I've explained this to you all day.__"_

"_**Well, explain it again! I'm still new to holidays!**__**"**_

"_Okay, okay. One more time. Valentine's Day is a day where two people celebrate romance… or well, just being in love with each other in general.__"_

"_**Why can it only be celebrated once a year…?**__**"**_

"_Well, you can dedicate any day to a lover. This is just… the day that everyone does it, I guess.__" _

"_**I still don't understand why it has to be one day in particular…**__**" **_

"_What, do you want to add that on to the list of things we change in the world?__"_

"_**...Well, now that you mention it...**__**" **_

"_Dude, it was rhetorical!__" _Toya took a deep sigh, before suddenly, he heard someone knocking on his door. _"__That's the cue. Time for you to go for the night.__"_

"_**You're gonna be with her all night…? What are you two even gonna be doing?**__**"**_

"_...Uh. You know… couple stuff…__" _

"_**You do realize that I can just read your mind and figure out what it is if you don't tell me, right?**__**"**_

"_Oh, shut up! You can do that tomorrow!__" _

"_**Fine, fine. I'll leave you be for the night then.**__**" **_He said, as he slowly disappeared from Toya's mind… for the time being, at least. Toya's eyes went back to normal, and he quickly made his way to the door, quickly opening it and seeing Makoto on the other side.

"Sorry it took me a minute to get to the door… I was uh… busy."

"Busy? In what way?" Makoto said, chuckling under her breath.

"...Oh, nevermind. I'll tell you later. Come on in, it must be freezing out…"

"Yeah… You have no idea…" Makoto said, shivering a little bit. Toya quickly pulled her inside and closed the door behind her. He then quickly pulled her in closer to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"There. Is that any better?"

"M-Much…" She said, gently smiling while hugging him back. The two of them slowly made their way towards the nearby couch, taking a seat next to each other.

"It's been two months since we were last here together, right…?"

"Just about… so much has changed since then. It almost feels weird, being back here…"

"Hey, this is just as much your home as it is mine, okay? You can relax all you want here."

"..Okay." She said, closing her eyes. "Oh, before I forget…" She reached into her bag, pulling out an orange box, handing it over to Toya. "I considered making this by hand… Would you have preferred that?"

"Well, there's always next year, right?"

"...Yeah. For sure." She said, reaching for one of Toya's hands and holding it in her own. "I'm just glad we're able to be here together. I wanted to give my first Valentine's Day chocolate… directly to you."

"I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to get it… but… I'm really glad. This is the first time I've ever been given a Valentine's Day chocolate, too… I'm glad it's with you." Toya put the box down next to him, and used his other hand to gently squeeze down on Makoto's. "So… how has everything been? Did I miss anything big while I was away?"

"Everything has been mostly quiet... I've been studying hard. I'm looking to apply to law school. My dreams of becoming a police commissioner remains the same."

"You're gonna do a really great job at that… I just know it."

"I know I can do it… especially with your help."

"I'll be there with you, every step of the way. You've got this."

"Hey… what about you? Have you thought about what you want to do after school ends?"

"I'm thinking… I might become a detective, just like my brother was. Of course, that means I'll have to apply to law school as well."

"Our lines of work will still involve trying to fix the problems with society, then?"

"Looks like it! Just… without all of the magic. Though… I don't know. I feel like I'm gonna miss going into the Metaverse sometimes, you know?"

"I figured you would… That's why I wanted to give this back to you." Makoto said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a purple bandana, handing it to Toya. "I asked Yusuke to draw something on it… I hope you don't mind." Toya took a look at the bandana… right where it would cover his mouth, the words 'KILLER QUEEN' were drawn onto it, with a crown drawn onto the K.

"Are you kidding? I love it." Toya took the bandana into his hands and tied it around his neck, keeping it on him. "I'll keep it forever."

"Really…?" Makoto said, closing her eyes and blushing, resting her head against Toya's shoulder. "I'm really glad to hear you say that…"

"...I really missed spending time with you like this…" Toya said, looking down at Makoto and wrapping one arm around her.

"I did too…" She looked up at him. The two exchanged looks, before smiling, and leaning in for a kiss. "I love you…"

"I love you too. More than anything." He chuckled, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey, um…" Makoto said, with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Hm? What's up?"

"Can… can we go up to your room for the rest of the night? I-If you don't mind, that is…" Toya looked at her, seeing the blush on her cheeks get brighter with every single word. It made him chuckle under his breath for just a moment… before suddenly, he lifted her up into the air, catching her off guard. "W-Whoa…!"

"Hold on tight, okay?" He said to her, looking into her eyes with a smile. She was blushing even harder now, but… she didn't necessarily dislike this. Toya slowly walked towards the staircase, holding on to her tightly and making his way to his room, where they two of them would inevitably spend the rest of the night.

**March 19th, 20XX (Sunday)**

**Daytime - Kazero Household**

"Just a minute!" Toya called out, making his way downstairs as he heard a knock on the door.

"_**Were you expecting anyone today?**__**"**_

"_No, actually… I'm not really sure who this could be.__" _Toya pondered who could be at his door for a moment, before opening it, to see Akira on the other side.

"Akira? What brings you here?"

"I was stopping by to see everyone one last time."

"One last time…? Wait… Oh! You're going home soon?"

"Yeah. I'll be heading back tomorrow… so I wanted to spend the day seeing everyone, one last time."

"How sweet." Toya chuckled. "Hey, give me a minute. Stay here- or just come in, I guess. Let me get something from upstairs real quick." Toya said, turning around and heading back upstairs. Akira was confused, but he decided to walk in nonetheless. He had only ever been to Toya's house once… and he didn't really remember much of it. He only remembered waking up here, tied to a bed. Everything that came before was a blur, but… well, he was told enough about what happened. A part of him regretted not getting to know Toya better… after all, the only times where he had ever really spoken to Toya were for… non-genuine reasons, to say the very least. The two of them never really had a true friendship because of the suspicions he had… and even though he was right about part of it, he felt bad nonetheless.

"**It's right there."**

"Huh? Where?"

"**No, not there- right there, moron!" **Akira could hear Toya and Osiris bickering among each other. It didn't sound hostile at all… rather, it sounded… friendly, in a way. The two of them were actually getting along… which was weird to think of, to say the very least. Though… it was nice to hear that the two of them were getting along now. A few moments later, he saw Toya coming back down the stairs, holding something in his hand.

"Sorry that took a while. Here, I want you to have this." He said, holding something out.

"This is…" Akira slowly took a hold of it, examining it in his own hands. It was a white mask, identical to the one he had used in the Metaverse… it was the same size and everything. "Where did you get this…?"

"This was your Treasure. From back when we all went into Mementos to try and save you. To be honest, I forgot I had it… but I think you should have it from now."

"You really want me to have this?"

"Just don't go robbing a bank with it or anything, alright?"

"You shouldn't give me ideas." Akira said, laughing. "Can you imagine? Me, you, Ryuji, and Yusuke… just driving around after robbing a bank, or something ridiculous like that?"

"I can totally see that. All four of us in the Mona van together." Toya closed his eyes, smirking and chuckling a bit. "I think our days of thieving are over now, though."

"Yeah. Still… maybe one day, if the Metaverse ever comes back."

"Well… I guess nobody's gonna complain if we take some cognitive money. Actually, you know what? Remind me if the Metaverse ever does come back, and I'm down for it."

"I'm holding you up to that!" Akira said, turning around. "I gotta go. I have a lot more people to go see."

"Yeah, go ahead. Keep in touch, alright?"

"Yeah. Promise." The two of them took one last glance at each other, nodding their heads at each other, before Akira walked away.

"_I'm gonna miss that guy.__"_

"_**Really? It felt like you barely got to know him.**__**"**_

"_That may be true, but… still. If things were different, I think that me and him could have been good friends__."_

"_**Well, regardless of that. It sounds like he's not opposed to meeting up with you again, some day. Do you think that will actually happen?**__**"**_

"_Maybe not the part about robbing a bank, but… everything else, yeah. I'm sure that's not the last I've seen of him. I'll run into him again some day, I know it.__"_ Toya smiled, before turning around. _"__Come on. We still have to finish our work for the weekend.__"_

**July 18th, 20XX (Tuesday)**

**Evening - Graveyard**

"_Hey, can you give me a little while alone? It won't take long, I swear.__" _

"_**What are you doing alone this late at night…?**__**" **_

"_Just… paying respect. Don't worry, it won't be long.__"_

"_**...Alright. I'll be back tomorrow morning, then.**__**" **_With the golden color fading from Toya's eye, he slowly made his way into the graveyard. He walked directly in front of one grave in particular, kneeling down in front of it.

"...It's been a while, Ken." He said, smiling. "A lot has happened since the last time I was here… a lot more than I could ever explain. But… well, I wanted to update you on… everything, really. My life… and everyone else's. I know that you didn't really know all of these people, but… just bare with me for a little bit, alright?" He sat down on the grass, staring at the gravestone. "Well… I guess we'll start with Makoto. She graduated from Shujin a few months ago, and got into law school. Her dreams of being a police commissioner are still there… I'm glad she's chasing her dream. But… she's a lot more busy now. We get to spend a lot less time with each other now… so I'm really hoping that we'll be able to spend more time together over summer break, if that's possible." Toya closed his eyes and smirked, thinking about the first time they met, and how their relationship had escalated since then. "Even if she's busy… that's fine. I'll wait for her, however long it takes. She's worth the wait, no doubt in my mind."

"Alright, next up is Haru. She also graduated from Shujin a few months ago, and has been going to college ever since. She's talked about becoming a business woman… assisting her father's corporation and bringing it's reputation back up to the standard it was once at." Toya paused, thinking to himself about the reputation of Okumura Foods. It never really recovered, after everything that happened with her father… and he was very aware of how that personally affected Haru's mindset. " To be perfectly honest, that might take a while, but… I'm really glad that she's doing it. It's a dream of her's, so I'll support her. Just like she's supported me."

"Hm… alright, let's talk about Akira next. He went back home, actually- Morgana went with him too. Everyone misses him… it's like him leaving left a gap in the friend group. But, a lot of them still talk to each other, so that's nice. He seems a lot happier now that he's back with his family, though… I know it must have sucked for him to leave everyone behind, but he's not beating himself up over it. And because of that… I'm happy for him." Toya looked up for a minute. He never got to know Akira that well, but… he always thought that the guy was interesting. He wanted to talk to him more often, but he was getting more and more busy by the day. "Oh yeah, he's coming back for a while, actually. Over summer break, he's gonna be coming to see everyone again. Maybe me and him will get to catch up some more there."

"That takes care of him… now for Ryuji." Toya closed his eyes, chuckling to himself for a moment. "Well, I hate to say it, but… Ryuji's not exactly doing so great. His grades are… not the best, to say the very least. I think he might have to take extra classes over the summer… Poor guy." Toya opened his eyes again, thinking back to all of the encounters he had with Ryuji… most of them being through fighting. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's one of the toughest guys I've ever met, after all. There's no way he'll let something like this phase him too badly. I think he's gonna try to get a track scholarship, if at all possible. I don't think banking on that is a very good idea, but… well, maybe it is from his position."

"Well, that's enough glooming about Ryuji's future. Let's talk about Ann next. Her grades aren't necessarily amazing either, but… well, they're still much better than Ryuji's. And, unlike Ryuji, she actually has a decent plan. She's actually gonna try to go big in modeling." Toya thought back to the limited interactions he had with Ann. They really didn't have anything in common at all, but… she was definitely someone that he found interesting. "She can definitely get somewhere with that. I don't know how far exactly she wants to go, but… well, she can certainly make a name for herself, at the very least."

"Now onto Yusuke… things are actually looking up for the guy. He's been taking his artwork a lot more seriously as of late- and he's actually starting to get his name out there. He's always had a thing against making money from his art, but… well, it's pretty mandatory for him, I think. He's starting to realize that too." Toya stopped speaking for a moment, and thought back to when he first spoke to Yusuke… it was in Leblanc, when Yusuke was torn up over someone stealing his artwork. "I think he's still a bit scarred over everything that happened with Madarame, honestly. I don't blame him… there were some nasty things. But… he's finally starting to get over that trauma now. I'm glad… he's really good at what he does, after all."

"Now for Futaba. She's still pretty young, so she has a lot of options for what she can do in her life still… it's not really time for her to make that choice. She started going back to school though, so maybe she'll meet some new people there? Maybe even find a new passion?" Toya thought back to when Futaba hacked an entire news network, displaying Shido's calling card throughout all of Tokyo. "...Nah, probably not. She's probably just gonna be a hacker for the rest of her life… she's too good at it for her own good. It's… actually a little scary, when you think about it…"

"Anyways, next is Sae. She actually ended up quitting her job entirely. Instead, she started working as a defense attorney, and… actually, she's doing quite well for herself. Better than ever before, actually. And she seems… so much happier now than she used to." Toya thought back to the first few times that he talked to Sae… and specifically, the hostility that they had towards each other. Things between them were… a lot different now. "...You know… I never really got to know Mom that well. But… part of me likes to believe that she's similar to Sae, at times. That probably sounds weird, but… I think Sae would be a good mom, one day. She probably didn't believe that herself for a while, but… I think she's realizing that now. Granted, I don't know if she plans on dating anyone anytime soon, but… well, maybe she'll find someone, some day."

"Well, that just leaves… me. My life has been… different, recently. I'm still going to school and all, but… I have a new element in my life… and a pretty big one, at that." He said, pressing one of his fingers to his head. "His name is Osiris. Honestly, I couldn't describe him if I tried… he's too unique for that. But… I'm getting along with him. It feels like I have to teach him everything about the world, but… I actually don't mind that. I thought I'd get annoyed at some point, but… he's a good listener. Anyways, enough about him. Back to me… well, I think I know what I want to do. I've been thinking about it a lot, and… I think I'm gonna try to follow in your footsteps, as a detective. There's a bit of a hole left in the system now that you and Akechi are both gone… so I think I'm gonna try to be the one that holds things together again. I don't really know if I'm gonna be able to do that on my own… but damn it, I'm gonna try. I swear, I'll try my hardest. And… I'll make you proud of your little brother." Toya looked at his brother's grave for a moment, smiling, before suddenly, he felt memory hit him like a truck.

"Oh, that's right! I knew there was _something_ I was forgetting! I've explained where everyone ended up… except for Akechi." Toya closed his eyes, smirking. "Well… he's actually not far away at all." He said, before looking at the gravestone that was just next to Ken's. It belonged to Akechi… the last thing remaining of him. He turned to face it directly, chuckling. "Hey, so I did something recently. It took a bit of convincing… but I somehow convinced Sojiro to start selling pancakes at Leblanc. It's like… a real breakfast place now- and it's getting him way more customers. Business is booming for him… I kinda wish I could have gone there with you, one day." Toya closed his eyes for a moment. He felt a tear streaming down his cheek… but he quickly wiped it away, trying to fight against the pain.

"Well, before I forget… I brought something for the two of you. I want to leave them here… I think it'd be better if you two had these." Toya reached into his bag, and pulled out his father's grappling hook. "Ken, you gave me this over a year ago, when I first moved here. You gave me this to remember our father by… and I'll always be grateful for that. But… I don't think I need it anymore. I have enough to remember both him _and_ you by, so you can have this back." Toya smiled, putting the grappling hook down. He wrapped the wire around the bottom of the gravestone, leaving it in place. Then, he turned around to Akechi's grave, reaching into his bag once more. "As for you… well, I got you something a little more personal." He said, as he pulled out a golden locket. "I got this… from your Palace, way back when we were both there. I'm not positive what's on the inside of this, but… well, if I had to guess… this is a younger you, and… the other picture is of your mother, right?" He said, smiling. He put the locket down in front of the grave, making sure to hide it under the dirt a bit, so nobody else could see it. "There. I… should have given that to you much sooner, to be honest. But… well, you have it now, right? I guess that's what matters the most." Toya smiled, as he got up, standing on his feet again and looking down at the two gravestones.

"You two taught me so much… for better or for worse. I… don't think I'd still be alive, if it weren't for the two of you. And, if I was alive… I wouldn't be living a real life. I'd just be… mindless. Another part of the masses, just… surviving, without really living life. It's because of you two, and your sacrifices… that I don't have to do that. I get to live like a real human being now… and it's amazing. I guess that, in a way… you two changed my heart, without even trying. So… thank you. Both of you. I wouldn't have made it this far without the two of you." He said, as tears started rolling down his cheeks again… but, this time, for some reason, he got the feeling to look up. He looked into the sky… and saw two stars, shining brillaintly… just above where the gravestones were. Through the tears, he gave off a big smile… before reaching behind his neck, and untying his bandana. He pulled it off… and then held it in the air, staring at the two stars as they shone, casting a ray of light down towards him, and the gravestones he stood in front of. He watched them burn brightly, as the bandana flapped in the wind. At that moment, nothing else existed in the world… not to him. It was just Toya… his love, his hope, and all of his sorrow. Everything went into this exact moment… and because of it, he was happy. Genuinely happy… with the entire world ahead of him, and nothing holding him back.

**Fin**

* * *

And, with that… the story has come to an end.

Before anything else, I just want to say thank you. I wrote a lot for this last chapter, trying to fit everything in. Maybe there's more I could do, but… I'm happy with what I've done. I hope all of you are, too.

But that's enough of that. You guys want to hear about the Royal Rewrite, I'm sure. And… well, I have a LOT to talk about. Obviously, some things are gonna remain the same, some things are gonna get changed, and some things are gonna be entirely new. I don't want to reveal everything here yet, but I'll tell you all a few things about the rewrite. Just to build up some excitement for it.

**1) Renaming**

This is a small one, so I'll get through this one quick. Long story short, there's a couple of characters that are going to be renamed, for different reasons. These 2 characters are Akira and Ken. In Akira's case, I've found that most people tend to prefer the name Ren Amamiya, and ATLUS has been hinting at the fact that this is his canon name. With this in mind, I think it'd be better if I called him this. As for Ken, I'm choosing to rename him entirely because of the existing character in Persona 3. I don't really like it when characters have the same name (expect me to only refer to the P3MC as Minato), so I'm gonna just name him something different.

**2) Backstory**

This one is completely new. To keep things simple, I plan on including some flashbacks into Toya's past, specifically, of the time before his father's death. I'm doing this just to add some more depth to Toya's character, and show you exactly what he was like before his father's death.

**3) Toya's rivalry with the Phantom Thieves**

Toya was created with the intention of being a rival of the Phantom Thieves. Someone they were actually worried about, someone who's a constant threat to them throughout a majority of the story. I want this to remain the same.

**4) Toya's overall theme of the Devil's Judgement**

Throughout the story, since the beginning, Toya's main theme has been Judgement, or more specifically, the Devil's Judgement. It was one of his more defining traits, and made him unique, compared to everyone else.

**5) Mephisto**

While I may end up changing the name from Mephisto back to Mephistopheles, which is the original name of the demon, everything else about him remains the same. He'll still cause Toya to go psychotic when summoned, which was another thing that was unique to Toya's character that I think needs to be preserved.

**6) Killer Queen**

Not only will the bond between Toya and Makoto remain in the rewrite, I want to expand on it. They're going to stay together, and their relationship will grow. This is mostly because Makoto's character arc will grow at a different pace, but… well, you'll understand why in a little bit.

**7) Confidants**

Here's one that I want to highlight. Long story short, Toya is gonna have quite a few more confidants in the Rewrite. In this story, he had a total of 7 throughout the entire thing. However, as it stands right now… that number is gonna jump up to 13. That's almost double the amount of confidants, and honestly, there's a chance I add 1 or 2 more.

Another thing I want to note about this is that character's confidants will be shuffled around, to things that I personally believe fit them better. For example, Makoto will (obviously) still be a confidant of Toya's, but… she won't be the High Priestess anymore. The only real exception to this is that Akira/Ren will remain as the Fool, since I believe that should be a constant. With that said, I'm gonna leave out a list of all the arcanas that Toya will have confidants with, and you can try to guess who's who:

The JESTER/HUNGER, The FOOL, The MAGICIAN, The HIEROPHANT, The LOVERS, The CHARIOT, JUSTICE, STRENGTH, DEATH, The DEVIL, The TOWER, The MOON, JUDGEMENT.

Good luck guessing all of these. You'll probably need it.

**8) Osiris**

This one is a bit of a mixed bag. Obviously, Osiris is going to stay in the story, because he's far too important to just… not exist anymore. However… his introduction will be a bit different. In fact, he's going to be introduced into the rewrite MUCH earlier than he was in the original. This is mostly to build up on the eventual moment where Toya and Osiris have to fight against each other, and will add much more intensity to the moment.

**9) Design & Weaponry**

Okay, here's one of the more interesting ones. Toya's Metaverse design, as well as his weapon of choice, will be undergoing some changes. For his design, I'm gonna be looking to change a specific thing about him- one that I won't say right away, but… well, you'll see when the Rewrite actually starts. As for his weapon, I'm deciding that I'm going to be changing what he uses completely. This means saying goodbye to the gunblade… and in its place, Toya will have an entirely different weapon- one that has existed within Persona games before, but not in Persona 5.

One more thing I'm considering is changing the design of Diabolos. I don't know if this is going to happen or not yet, but I'm just letting you know now that it might. We'll see what happens when we get there.

**10) A new ally**

And here it is. This is probably the most important thing by far. Toya and Makoto are going to have a new ally on their side, one that joins them much before Haru does in this story. I don't want to give any details about who this character is yet, due to the fact that I don't want to spoil it. However, just know that this is a character that does exist within Persona 5 already. Whether or not they have a Persona in the main game… well, you'll just have to wait and see.

That's all I wanted to tease. Now, I'll just answer some of the questions that were left in reviews at the end of the last chapter, and then we'll be done.

"So do you plan on making fluffy or funny epilogues after the finale chapter?  
I definitely want to see a chapter of Toya and Makoto as a couple in ten years as the ultimate Justice pairing, do you have plans for that?"

I've considered it recently, honestly. If I do that, it probably won't be under this story in particular. It'd probably be it's own "story" that's entirely dedicated to one-shots about the two of them, or anything else. We'll see what happens, but what I can say for sure is that I'm considering it.

"Is Osiris being a litteral part of Toya give him metaverse powers? Like idk, super jumps, strengh or limited persona?"

I don't know if he'll gain any powers from it. Osiris mostly just functions as a second conscious for him. Though, I guess Osiris could help him cheat on a test, if he really wanted to. Aside from that though, Osiris doesn't actually provide anything that's directly helpful in that regard.

"Do you have a reference or a picture for Ultimate Osiris?"

I don't have a picture of him, mostly because I'm absolutely horrible at drawing. Seriously, it's worse than you think. As for a reference... well, I don't have a picture, but I do have a description that will probably describe him better than I ever could. In the original game, Akira/Ren summons Satanael. In Satanael's description, he is described as being the form of Satan, before he fell from Heaven. Osiris, on the other hand, is the form of Satan after he fell from Heaven. That's why he has some features that are... well, beast like. He's not a complete beast because he was once an angel, so he still has a humanoid form, but... he definitely has some beast qualities.

"If I have a great complaint about this fic, It's probably Akira having a very small influence in the grand scheme of things. In the rewrite, do you plan on making him and the Phantoms more relevant ?"

I do plan on having him play a bigger role in the plot overall. There are a few ways that I plan on doing this, but one of the big things I want to take note of is that the Rewrite will probably have a lot more cuts to the Phantom Thieves, just to give some updates on what their characters are like. Not only that, but every member of the PTs will interact with Toya much more in the rewrite early on than they do in this story. There's a reason for this, but... well, I'd rather not say yet, since it would spoil some of the other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that about sums it up... and with that, I've officially finished this story. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave a review, or PM me. If you leave a review with a question in it, then I'll most likely tweet it out on my Twitter to answer it.
> 
> One last time... I'd love to read any reviews you all have of this story. I know it wasn't perfect- but in the end, I'm proud of what I've created, and I hope to make the Royal Rewrite even better. If you have any specific questions for me, then feel free to contact me on my Twitter (Kazero5340). I'll answer anything you have, as long as it's not gonna get too deep into spoilers.


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